Production of Aromatics from Di- and Polyoxygenates

ABSTRACT

Methods, catalysts, and reactor systems for producing in high yield aromatic chemicals and liquid fuels from a mixture of oxygenates comprising di- and polyoxygenates are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods, catalysts, and reactor systems for producing aromatic chemicals and liquid fuels from oxygenated hydrocarbons such as carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, and the like; and methods, catalysts, and reactor systems for producing the mixture of oxygenates from oxygenated hydrocarbons such as carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, and the like. The disclosed catalysts for preparing the mixture of oxygenates comprise a Group VIII metal and a crystalline alumina support.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/210,925, filed Mar. 14, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S.provisional Application No. 61/784,417, each of which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was made with government support under an award providedby the U.S. Department of Energy, Award Nos. DE-EE0003044 andDE-EE0005006. The government has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previous efforts for converting biomass to liquid fuels and chemicalshave focused on transforming a variety of oxygenated hydrocarbons todesirable products using condensation reaction pathways. Thecondensation reaction can be catalyzed using a zeolite catalyst, forexample, under moderate conditions (i.e. temperatures between 80° C. and600° C. and pressures at or slightly greater than atmospheric).

The most common process for converting oxygenated hydrocarbons togasoline range hydrocarbons is known as the methanol to gasoline (MTG)process (Mobil Oil Corporation ca. 1980). Additionally, Mobil andConocoPhillips have developed and patented methods for convertingbiomass derived carbohydrates (e.g., glucose, xylose, starch, sucrose)and sugar alcohols (sorbitol and xylitol) to similar gasoline rangehydrocarbons. However, one of the major disadvantages of processingthese highly oxygenated species with zeolite catalysts is the productionof high yields of undesired coke, which severely harm/limit catalystperformance and final product yields.

Chen et al. developed the hydrogen to carbon effective (H:C_(eff)) ratioas a tool to assist in determining the suitability of oxygenatedhydrocarbon feedstocks for catalytic conversion to hydrocarbons usingzeolite catalysts (N.Y. Chen, J. T. F. Degnan and L. R. Koenig, Chem.Tech. 1986, 16, 506). The H:C_(eff) ratio is based on the amount ofcarbon, oxygen and hydrogen in the feed, and is calculated as follows:

${H\text{:}C_{eff}} = \frac{H - {2O}}{C}$

where H represents the number of hydrogen atoms, O represents the numberof oxygen atoms, and C represents the number of carbon atoms. Water andmolecular hydrogen (diatomic hydrogen, H₂) are excluded from thecalculation. The H:C_(eff) ratio applies both to individual componentsand to mixtures of components, but is not valid for components whichcontain atoms other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. For mixtures, theC, H, and O are summed over all components exclusive of water andmolecular hydrogen. The term “hydrogen” refers to any hydrogen atom,while the term “molecular hydrogen” is limited to diatomic hydrogen, H₂.

Zhang et al. studied the impact of the H:C_(eff) ratio on the conversionof various biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons to coke, olefins andaromatics using a ZSM-5 catalyst (Zhang et al., Catalytic conversion ofbiomass-derived feedstocks into olefins and aromatics with ZSM-5: thehydrogen to carbon effective ratio, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4,2297). Zhang reported that biomass derived feedstocks having H:C_(eff)ratios of between 0 and 0.3 produced high levels of coke, making itnon-economical to convert such feedstocks to aromatics and chemicals. Byhydroprocessing the feedstock to add hydrogen, Zhang was able to producearomatics and olefins using a ZSM-5 catalyst at yields higher than aprocess without hydrogenation. However, the ratio of olefins toaromatics also increased with increasing H:C_(eff) ratio, with theolefin yield higher than the yield of aromatics for all feedstocks. Itwas reported that there is also an inflection point at a H:C_(eff) ratioof 1.2, where the aromatic and olefin yield does not increase further.Zhang indicated that at most the yield of high value aromatic chemicals,such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), may be limited to 24% whenusing zeolite catalysts according to the disclosed process.

Oxygenated hydrocarbons derived from biomass, such as carbohydrates,sugars, and sugar alcohols have a low H:C_(eff) ratio. A typicalcarbohydrate or sugar has a formula that can be represented by theformula ((CH₂O)_(n))_(m) where n is typically equal to 3-6 (i.e. triose,tetrose, pentose, or hexose) and m is any number between 1 (i.e. amonosaccharide) and tens of thousands for large polysaccharides. Amolecule of the formula ((CH₂O)_(n))_(m) will have a H:C_(eff) ratio of0. Sugar alcohols, likewise, have low H:C_(eff) ratios. For example, theC₆ and C₅ sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol have an H:C_(eff) of0.33 and 0.4, respectively, making them undesirable for condensationreactions due to the excessive amount of coke formed on the condensationcatalyst.

To overcome the limitations in converting oxygen-rich (alternatively,hydrogen-deficient) biomass-derived feedstocks to hydrocarbons, biomassderived feedstocks have been converted to oxygen-deficient(alternatively, hydrogen-rich) molecules, such as monooxygenatedhydrocarbons (alcohols, ketones, cyclic ethers, etc.), while keeping thecarbon chain intact. The monooxygenates are subsequently converted togasoline range hydrocarbons using a condensation catalyst. See, forexample, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,767,867, 8,017,818, 8,231,857 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 12/980,892 and 13/586,499, the contents of whichare incorporated herein in their entirety.

Under the described methods, the conversion to monooxygenates from thebiomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons results in an oxygenate mixturehaving an overall H:C_(eff) ratio close to 2. The overall H:C_(eff)ratio is based on the combined H:C_(eff) ratio for all of thehydrocarbons (both oxygenated and non-oxygenated) in the oxygenatemixture. The monohydroxyl alcohols have a H:C_(eff) ratio of 2.0regardless of size, while the H:C_(eff) ratio for cyclic ethers,ketones, aldehydes, and alkanes vary with the length of the hydrocarbon.For example, the H:C_(eff) for the C₆ and C₅ cyclic ethers, ketones, andaldehydes is 1.67 and 1.6, respectively, while the H:C_(eff) for the C₆and C₅ alkanes is 2.33 and 2.40, respectively. The alkanes in anysubstantial quantity are particularly undesirable because they arelargely unreactive when further processed during condensation andcontribute to a higher H:C_(eff) ratio.

Although forming monooxygenates allows for the condensation ofoxygenates without the production of an excessive amount of coke on thecatalyst, the process comes at a cost. Specifically, condensation ofmonooxygenates leads to substantial alkane production often at yieldscomparable to the production of aromatic molecules. For applicationswhere aromatic molecules are highly desirable, the significantproduction of alkanes reduces the total aromatics produced, therebyincreasing the overall cost of the final end products. Therefore, thereis a need for methods for yielding aromatics in high percentages whileminimizing alkane production, methods for producing the mixture ofoxygenates useful for those methods, and the catalysts used in themethods for forming the mixture of oxygenates. In addition, there is aneed for the methods to also have a low coke yield.

The inventors have surprisingly found solutions for all of those needsbased on refinements made to the overall oxygenate mixture. Inparticular, the inventors have discovered that a mixture of oxygenateshaving a H:C_(eff) ratio in the range of 0.5 to 1.7 and one or more ofthe following attributes provides unexpected and beneficial results toimproving aromatics production:

(1) more di- and polyoxygenates than monooxygenates, (2) moredioxygenates than monooxygenates, (3) more C₂₋₄ oxygenates (especiallydi- and polyoxygenates) than C₅₋₆ oxygenates (especiallymonooxygenates), and/or (4) little to no alkanes present.

SUMMARY

The invention provides methods for making biomass-derived chemicals andfuels with a high yield of aromatic molecules and a low yield ofalkanes. The invention also provides methods for making a mixture ofoxygenates from biomass that react in the presence of a condensationcatalyst to produce chemicals and fuels with a high yield of aromaticmolecules and a low yield of alkanes. In addition, the invention alsoprovides catalysts useful in the production of the mixture of oxygenatescapable of being reacted to produce a high yield of aromatic moleculesand a low yield of alkanes. An additional aspect of the invention isthat the methods produce a low yield of coke when making aromaticmolecules.

A first embodiment of the invention is a method for producinghydrocarbons having a high yield of aryls and a low yield of C₄₊ alkanesby reacting a feedstock comprising a mixture of C₂₋₆ oxygenates with acondensation catalyst to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons. The mixtureof oxygenates comprises a member selected from the group consisting ofC₂₋₆ monooxygenates, C₂₋₆ dioxygenates, C₂₋₆ polyoxygenates, andcombinations thereof and has a H:C_(eff) ratio greater than or equal to0.5 and less than or equal to 1.7. The mixture of hydrocarbons comprisesgreater than or equal to 50% CF aryls and less than or equal to 20% CFC₄₊ alkanes.

A second embodiment of the invention is a method for producinghydrocarbon having a high yield of aryls and a low yield of alkanes byreacting an aqueous feedstock, the aqueous feedstock comprising waterand one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons selected from the groupconsisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides,polysaccharides sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, cellulosicderivatives, hemicellulosic derivatives, lignin derivatives,lignocellulosic derivatives, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen in thepresence of a catalyst comprising a Group VIII metal and a crystallinealumina support to produce a mixture of C₂₋₆ oxygenates and reacting themixture of C₂₋₆ oxygenates, with a condensation catalyst to produce amixture of hydrocarbons comprising C₄₊ alkanes and aryls, wherein themixture of hydrocarbons comprises greater than or equal to 50% CF arylsand less than or equal to 20% CF C₄₊ alkanes. The mixture of oxygenatescomprises a member selected from the group consisting of C₂₋₆monooxygenates, C₂₋₆ dioxygenates, C₂₋₆ polyoxygenates, and combinationsthereof. The mixture of oxygenates may also have a H:C_(eff) ratiogreater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.7. In certainembodiments, the catalyst may further comprise a second metal selectedfrom Group IB, Group IIB, Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB,Group VIIB, Group VIII, Group IIIA, Group IVA, and Group VA. In certainembodiments, the catalyst may comprise greater than or equal to 0.5 wt %of the Group VIII metal and greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % of thesecond metal. In certain embodiments, the crystalline alumina catalystmay be a transitional alumina support. In certain embodiments, thecrystalline alumina catalyst may be a theta-alumina support. In certainembodiments, the crystalline alumina support may be modified with amember selected from the group consisting of B, Cr, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg,Mo, Nb, W, Zr, and mixtures thereof.

A third embodiment of the invention is a method for producing a mixtureof oxygenates capable of being reacted to produce hydrocarbons having ahigh yield of aryls and a low yield of alkanes by reacting an aqueousfeedstock, the aqueous feedstock comprising water and one or moreoxygenated hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting ofmonosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, sugaralcohols, sugar degradation products, cellulosic derivatives,hemicellulosic derivatives, lignin derivatives, lignocellulosicderivatives, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen in the presence of adeoxygenation catalyst comprising a Group VIII metal and a crystallinealumina support to produce a mixture of C₂₋₆ oxygenates. The mixture ofoxygenates has a H:C_(eff) ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 and lessthan or equal to 1.7. In certain embodiments, the deoxygenation catalystmay further comprise a second metal selected from the group consistingof Group IB, Group IIB, Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB,Group VIIB, Group VIII, Group IIIA, Group IVA, and Group VA. In certainembodiments, the catalyst may comprise greater than or equal to 0.5 wt %of the Group VIII metal and greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % of thesecond metal. In certain embodiments, the crystalline alumina supportmay be a transitional alumina support. In certain embodiments, thecrystalline alumina support may be a theta-alumina support. In certainembodiments, the support may be modified with a member selected from thegroup consisting of B, Cr, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, Nb, W, Zr, andmixtures thereof.

In any of the embodiments above, the mixture of oxygenates may have oneor more attributes selected from the group consisting of (i) a % CFratio greater than or equal to 0.5 of dioxygenates and polyoxygenates tomonooxygenates, (ii) a % CF ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 ofdioxygenates to monooxygenates, (iii) a % CF ratio greater than or equalto 1.0 of C₂₋₄ oxygenates to C₅₋₆ oxygenates, and (iv) the mixture ofoxygenates further comprising less than or equal to 10% CF alkanes.

In any of the embodiments above, the mixture of hydrocarbons comprisesgreater than or equal to 55% CF aryls, greater than or equal to 60% CFaryls, or greater than or equal to 65% CF aryls. In certain embodiments,the mixture of hydrocarbon comprises less than or equal to 15% CF C₄₊alkanes, less than or equal to 10% CF C₄₊ alkanes, or less than or equalto 5% CF C₄₊ alkanes.

In any of the embodiments above, the H:C_(eff) ratio of the mixture ofoxygenates may be less than or equal to 1.6, less than or equal to 1.5,or less than or equal to 1.4. In certain embodiments, the H:C_(eff)ratio of the mixture of oxygenates may be greater than or equal to 0.6,greater than or equal to 0.7, greater than or equal to 0.8, greater thanor equal to 0.9, or greater than or equal to 1.0.

In any of the embodiments above, the mixture of oxygenates may comprisegreater than or equal to about 30% CF dioxygenates and polyoxygenates,greater than or equal to 40% CF dioxygenates and polyoxygenates, greaterthan or equal to 50% CF dioxygenates and polyoxygenates, or greater thanor equal to 60% CF dioxygenates and polyoxygenates. In certainembodiments, the mixture of oxygenates may comprise greater than orequal to 30% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to 40% CFdioxygenates, greater than or equal to 50% CF dioxygenates, or greaterthan or equal to 60% CF dioxygenates. In certain embodiments, themixture of oxygenates may comprise greater than or equal to 20% CFdiols, greater than or equal to 30% CF diols, greater than or equal to40% CF diols, or greater than or equal to 50% CF diols.

In any of the embodiments above, the aryls may comprise one or morearyls selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, xylene,paraxylene, metaxylene, orthoxylene, and ethylbenzene.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary flow diagram for converting oxygenatedhydrocarbons to oxygenated compounds or for converting oxygenatedcompounds to hydrocarbons.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flow diagram for converting oxygenatedhydrocarbons to oxygenated compounds including an optional recyclestream.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary process flow diagram for converting oxygenatedhydrocarbons to liquid fuels and chemicals, including a deoxygenationreactor, an aqueous recycle stream, a condensation reactor, and a vaporphase recycle stream.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary process flow diagram for converting oxygenatedhydrocarbons to liquid fuels and chemicals, including a deoxygenationreactor, an aqueous recycle stream, and a condensation reactor.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary process flow diagram for converting oxygenatedhydrocarbons to liquid fuels and chemicals, including a deoxygenationreactor, an aqueous recycle stream, a condensation reactor, a vaporphase recycle stream, and a liquid phase (e.g., distillation columnoverhead product) recycle stream.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary product distribution illustrating the effect ofthe deoxygenation catalyst composition on the product profile. Thecatalyst compositions were 2% Pd 2% Mo 0.5% Sn on W—ZrO₂ (reduced to300° C.) and 4% Ni 1% Sn on W—ZrO₂ (reduced to 300° C.).

FIG. 7 is an exemplary product distribution illustrating the effect ofthe deoxygenation catalyst support on the product profile. The catalystcompositions were 2% Pd 2% Mo 0.5% Sn 13.5% W on mZrO2 (reduced to 300°C.) and 2% Pd 2% Mo 0.5% Sn 13.5% W on theta-alumina (reduced to 300°C.).

FIG. 8 is an exemplary product distribution (e.g., paraffins,dioxygenates, etc.) illustrating the effect of the deoxygenationcatalyst composition and temperature on the product profile

FIG. 9 is an exemplary product distribution (e.g., ketones, cyclicethers, etc.) illustrating the effect of the deoxygenation catalystcomposition and temperature on the product profile.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary carbon distribution of identified compoundsillustrating the effect of the deoxygenation catalyst composition andtemperature on the product profile.

FIG. 11 is a comparison of oxygenated compounds generated with variouscatalysts containing Ni and Sn in a batch reactor.

FIG. 12 is a comparison of oxygenated compounds generated with variouscatalysts containing Ni and Sn in a fixed bed reactor at a WHSV of 0.5hr⁻¹.

FIG. 13 is a comparison of oxygenated compounds generated with variouscatalysts containing Ni and Sn in a fixed bed reactor at a WHSV of 1.0hr⁻¹.

FIG. 14 is a comparison of oxygenated compounds generated with variouscatalysts containing Ni₃Sn₂ alloy catalyst on different supports.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention generally provides for processes for makingbiomass-derived chemicals and fuels with a high yield of aromaticmolecules and a low yield of alkanes and coke. Surprisingly, the presentmethod allows for the production of a mixture of hydrocarbons havinggreater than or equal to 50% aromatic molecules, while also having lessthan or equal to 20% alkanes.

The invention also provides methods for making a mixture of oxygenatesfrom biomass that react in the presence of a condensation catalyst toproduce chemicals and fuels with a high yield of aromatic molecules anda low yield of alkanes. Additionally, the invention also results in alow yield of coke when producing aromatic chemicals. The mixture ofoxygenates will generally have a H:C_(eff) ratio of greater than orequal to 0.5 to less than or equal to 1.7, which allows for thesurprisingly high yield of aromatic molecules while minimizing the yieldof alkanes. The mixture of oxygenates may also have one or more of thefollowing attributes: (1) more di- and polyoxygenates thanmonooxygenates, (2) more dioxygenates than monooxygenates, (3) more C₂₋₄oxygenates (especially di- and polyoxygenates) than C₅₋₆ oxygenates(especially monooxygenates), and/or (4) little to no alkanes present.

The mixture of oxygenates may originate from any source, but may also beproduced by reacting an aqueous feedstock solution containing awater-soluble oxygenated hydrocarbon having three or more carbon atomswith hydrogen over a deoxygenation catalyst to produce the desiredoxygenate mixture. The mixture of oxygenates are then reacted over acondensation catalyst under conditions of temperature and pressureeffective to cause a condensation reaction that produces the high yieldof aromatic molecules and a low yield of alkanes and coke. Theoxygenated hydrocarbon may be a monosaccharide, disaccharide,polysaccharide, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, sugar, sugar alcoholor other polyhydric alcohols, sugar degradation products, or may bederived from the hydrogenation of a sugar, furfural, carboxylic acid,ketone, or furan, or the hydrogenolysis of a sugar, sugar alcohol,polysaccharide, monosaccharide, disaccharide or polyhydric alcohol. Theinvention also provides for the deoxygenation catalyst useful forproducing the mixture of oxygenates.

One aspect of the invention is the production of a hydrocarbon streamhaving a high yield of aromatic molecules and a low yield of alkanes. Inparticular, the method provides for an aryl yield greater than or equalto 50% CF and C₄₊ alkane yield less than or equal to 20% CF. In certainembodiments the aryls yield can be greater than or equal to 55% CF,greater than or equal to 60% CF, or greater than or equal to 65% CF. Incertain embodiments, the C₄₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 15%CF, less than or equal to 10% CF, or less than equal to 5% CF. Incertain other embodiments, the product may further comprise C₁₋₃ alkaneswith the total C₁₊ alkane yield less than or equal to 20% CF, less thanor equal to 15% CF, less than or equal to 10% CF, or less than or equalto 5% CF. The % CF is calculated by dividing the mass of carbon of thecomponent (e.g. mass of carbon in the aryls) by the mass of carbon inthe feed and multiplying by 100. Alternatively, the % CF may be reportedas percentage of feed carbon, percentage of carbon in, or other similarnomenclature.

In certain embodiments, the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 55%CF and the C₄₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 15% CF. In anotherembodiment the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 60% CF and theC₄₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 10% CF. In furtherembodiments, the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 55% CF and theC₁₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 15% CF. In yet otherembodiments, the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 60% CF and theC₁₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 10% CF.

One aspect of the invention that allows for the surprising benefit ofhigh aromatic hydrocarbon yield and low alkane and are the mixtures ofoxygenates feed into the condensation reactor. In addition the inventionallows for the surprising benefit of low coke yield on the condensationcatalyst. Typical biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons from sugars,starches, hemicellulose, cellulose and the like have very low H:C_(eff)ratios around 0.0. Because these biomass-derived compounds are sooxygen-rich (conversely, hydrogen-poor) they tend to coke-upcondensation catalyst. Monooxygenates on the other hand have a muchhigher H:C_(eff) (H:C_(eff) equals 2.0 for alcohols), and tend to resultin substantial alkane production, often at yields comparable to thedesired aromatic molecules. An ideal mixture to produce a high yield ofaromatic molecules, while minimizing the amount of alkanes produced willhave a H:C_(eff) ratio between 0.5 and 1.7. By way of comparison,oxygenated compounds that are well suited for producing high yields ofaromatics and low yields of alkanes have 2 to 4 carbon atoms and 2 or 3oxygen atoms. The H:C_(eff) ratios for these molecules are generallybetween 0.5 and 1.5. Examples include C₂₋₄ diols and triols, such asethylene glycol with a H:C_(eff) of 1, propylene glycol with a H:C_(eff)of 1.33, glycerol with a H:C_(eff) of 0.67, butanediol with a H:C_(eff)of 1.25, and butantriol with a H:C_(eff) of 1. Smaller di- and/orpolyoxygenates, such as C₂₋₄ compounds having carboxylic acid,hydroxyketone, or hydroxyaldehyde moieties and RCOOR′ esters (where R isC₁₋₆ and R′ is C₁₋₄) may also fall within the desired H:C_(eff) range.

Without being bound to any particular theory, the inventors believe thathydrogen atoms, made available through the conversion of relativelyhydrogen-deficient biomass-derived feedstocks to C₂₋₄O₂₋₃ oxygenatesallows reaction pathways to be exploited across the condensationcatalyst that are not otherwise feasible. The reaction pathways includereactions that can directly lead to olefin intermediates. Additionalolefin intermediates may be indirectly generated through the release andtransfer of hydrogen as aromatics are formed, with the hydrogen releasedby the formation of the aromatics transferred to unsaturated oxygenatessuch as esters, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids or other oxygenatedmolecules such as diols, or polyols. As used herein, oxygenates capableof reacting with hydrogen in this manner are termed “hydrogenacceptors”. It is believed that carbonyls, carboxylic acids, esters,cyclic ethers, diols, polyols, furans and other oxygenates characterizedby having a H:C_(eff) ratio of less than 2 are capable of being hydrogenacceptors, either directly or following other reactions (such asdehydration), which have converted the components to hydrogen acceptors.After accepting hydrogen, the hydrogen acceptors may be converted intospecies that readily dehydrate to form olefins or may be capable ofaccepting further hydrogen.

Generally, the mixture of oxygenates will have a H:C_(eff) ratio greaterthan or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 1.7, and one or more ofthe following attributes: (1) more di- and polyoxygenates thanmonooxygenates, (2) more dioxygenates than monooxygenates, (3) more C₂₋₄oxygenates (especially di- and polyoxygenates) than C₅₋₆ oxygenates(especially monooxygenates), and/or (4) little to no alkanes present.

In most embodiments, the mixture of oxygenates will have a H:C_(eff)ratio greater than or equal to 0.5, greater than or equal to 0.6,greater than or equal to 0.7, greater than or equal to 0.8, greater thanor equal to 0.9, or greater than or equal to 1.0. The mixture ofoxygenates also has a H:C_(eff) ratio less than or equal to 1.7, lessthan or equal to 1.6, less than or equal to 1.5, or less than or equalto 1.4.

The mixture of oxygenates will also generally have a substantial amountof dioxygenates and/or polyoxygenates. In such embodiments, theoxygenate mixtures may have greater than or equal to 30% CF dioxygenatesand polyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 35% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 40% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 45% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 50% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 55% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 60% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 65% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 70% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 75% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 80% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 85% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 90% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, or any % CF between any interval thereof. In thisinstance, the % CF is calculated by dividing the mass of carbon of thecomponents (e.g. mass of carbon in the di- and polyoxygenates molecules)by the mass of carbon in the mixture of oxygenates and multiplying by100.

In other embodiments, the mixture of oxygenates may have greater than orequal to 30% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to 35% CFdioxygenates, greater than or equal to 40% CF dioxygenates, greater thanor equal to 45% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to 50% CFdioxygenates, greater than or equal to 55% CF dioxygenates, greater thanor equal to 60% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to 65% CFdioxygenates, greater than or equal to 70% CF dioxygenates, greater thanor equal to 75% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to 80% CFdioxygenates, greater than or equal to 85% CF dioxygenates, greater thanor equal to 90% CF dioxygenates, or any % CF between any intervalthereof. In this instance, the % CF is calculated by dividing the massof carbon of the components (e.g. mass of carbon in the dioxygenatesmolecules) by the mass of carbon in the mixture of oxygenates andmultiplying by 100.

In other embodiments, the mixture of oxygenates may have greater than orequal to 20% CF diols, greater than or equal to 25% CF diols, greaterthan or equal to 30% CF diols, greater than or equal to 35% CF diols,greater than or equal to 40% CF diols, greater than or equal to 45% CFdiols, greater than or equal to 50% CF diols, greater than or equal to55% CF diols, greater than or equal to 60% CF diols, greater than orequal to 65% CF diols, greater than or equal to 70% CF diols, greaterthan or equal to 75% CF diols, greater than or equal to 80% CF diols, orany % CF between any interval thereof. In this instance, the % CF iscalculated by dividing the mass of carbon of the components (e.g. massof carbon in the diol molecules) by the mass of carbon in the mixture ofoxygenates and multiplying by 100.

In other embodiments, the mixture of oxygenates may have less than orequal to 20% CF monooxygenates, less than or equal to 15% CFmonooxygenates, less than or equal to 10% CF monooxygenates, less thanor equal to 9% CF monooxygenates, less than or equal to 8% CFmonooxygenates, less than or equal to 7% CF monooxygenates, less than orequal to 5% CF monooxygenates, less than or equal to 5% CFmonooxygenates, less than or equal to 5% CF monooxygenates, less than orequal to 4% CF monooxygenates, less than or equal to 3% CFmonooxygenates, less than or equal to 2% CF monooxygenates, less than orequal to 1% CF monooxygenates, or any % CF between any interval thereof.In this instance, the % CF is calculated by dividing the mass of carbonof the components (e.g. mass of carbon in the monooxygenates) by themass of carbon in the mixture of oxygenates and multiplying by 100.

In other embodiments, the mixture of oxygenates may have less than orequal to 20% CF alcohols, less than or equal to 15% CF alcohols, lessthan or equal to 10% CF alcohols, less than or equal to 9% CFmonooxygenates, less than or equal to 8% CF alcohols, less than or equalto 7% CF alcohols, less than or equal to 5% CF alcohols, less than orequal to 5% CF alcohols, less than or equal to 4% CF alcohols, less thanor equal to 3% CF alcohols, less than or equal to 2% CF alcohols, lessthan or equal to 1% CF alcohols, or any % CF between any intervalthereof. In this instance, the % CF is calculated by dividing the massof carbon of the components (e.g. mass of carbon in the alcohols) by themass of carbon in the mixture of oxygenates and multiplying by 100.

A first possible attribute of the mixture of oxygenates is that the % CFratio of di- and polyoxygenates to monooxygenates is greater than orequal to 0.5, where the % CF ratio is calculated by dividing the % CFfor each component (i.e. % CF dioxygenates and polyoxygenates divided by% CF monoxygenates). In certain embodiments, the % CF ratio of di- andpolyoxygenates to monooxygenates is greater than or equal to 0.6,greater than or equal to 0.7, greater than or equal to 0.8, greater thanor equal to 0.9, greater than or equal to 1.0, greater than or equal to1.1, greater than or equal to 1.2, greater than or equal to 1.3, greaterthan or equal to 1.4, greater than or equal to 1.5, greater than orequal to 1.6, greater than or equal to 1.7, greater than or equal to1.8, greater than or equal to 1.9, greater than or equal to 2.0, greaterthan or equal to 3.0, greater than or equal to 4.0, greater than orequal to 5.0, greater than or equal to 6.0, greater than or equal to7.0, greater than or equal to 8.0, greater than or equal to 9.0, greaterthan or equal to 10.0, greater than or equal to 11.0, greater than orequal to 12.0, greater than or equal to 13.0, greater than or equal to14.0, greater than or equal to 15.0, greater than or equal to 20.0,greater than or equal to 25.0, greater than or equal to 35.0, greaterthan or equal to 45.0, or any ratio in between any interval thereof. The% CF ratio of dioxygenates and polyoxygenates to monooxygenates can alsomore easily be measured by the ratio of diols and triols to alcohols incertain embodiments.

A second possible attribute of the mixture of oxygenates is that the %CF ratio of dioxygenates to monooxygenates is greater than or equal to0.5, where the % CF ratio is calculated by dividing the % CF for eachcomponent (i.e. % CF dioxygenates divided by % CF monooxygenates). Incertain embodiments, the % CF ratio of dioxygenates to monooxygenates isgreater than or equal to 0.6, greater than or equal to 0.7, greater thanor equal to 0.8, greater than or equal to 0.9, greater than or equal to1.0, greater than or equal to 1.1, greater than or equal to 1.2, greaterthan or equal to 1.3, greater than or equal to 1.4, greater than orequal to 1.5, greater than or equal to 1.6, greater than or equal to1.7, greater than or equal to 1.8, greater than or equal to 1.9, greaterthan or equal to 2.0, greater than or equal to 3.0, greater than orequal to 4.0, greater than or equal to 5.0, greater than or equal to6.0, greater than or equal to 7.0, greater than or equal to 8.0, greaterthan or equal to 9.0, greater than or equal to 10.0, greater than orequal to 11.0, greater than or equal to 12.0, greater than or equal to13.0, greater than or equal to 14.0, greater than or equal to 15.0,greater than or equal to 20.0, greater than or equal to 25.0, greaterthan or equal to 35.0, greater than or equal to 45.0, or any ratio inbetween any interval thereof. The % CF ratio of dioxygenates tomonooxygenates can also more easily be measured by the ratio of diols toalcohols. As shown in Example 1, this leads to a surprising andunexpected ability of the mixture of oxygenates to produce greaterquantities of aromatic molecules while minimizing the production ofundesired alkanes as the ratio of the diol to alcohol increases. At thelargest ratio presented, the condensation reaction surprisingly resultedin greater than or equal to 65CF % aromatics and less than or equal to10CF % paraffins.

A third possible attribute of the mixture of oxygenates is that the % CFratio of C₂₋₄ oxygenates to C₅₋₆ oxygenates is greater than or equal to1.0, where the % CF ratio is calculated by dividing the % CF for eachcomponent (i.e. % CF C₂₋₄ oxygenates divided by % CF C₅₋₆ oxygenates).In certain embodiments, the % CF ratio of C₂₋₄ oxygenates to C₅₋₆oxygenates as a percentage of the aqueous carbon feedstock is greaterthan or equal to 1.0. In certain embodiments, the ratio of C₂₋₄oxygenates to C₅₋₆ oxygenates is greater than or equal to 1.1, greaterthan or equal to 1.2, greater than or equal to 1.3, greater than orequal to 1.4, greater than or equal to 1.5, greater than or equal to1.6, greater than or equal to 1.7, greater than or equal to 1.8, greaterthan or equal to 1.9, greater than or equal to 2.0, greater than orequal to 3.0, greater than or equal to 4.0, greater than or equal to5.0, greater than or equal to 6.0, greater than or equal to 7.0, greaterthan or equal to 8.0, greater than or equal to 9.0, greater than orequal to 10.0, greater than or equal to 11.0, greater than or equal to12.0, greater than or equal to 13.0, greater than or equal to 14.0,greater than or equal to 15.0, greater than or equal to 20.0, greaterthan or equal to 25.0, greater than or equal to 35.0, greater than orequal to 45.0, or any ratio in between any interval thereof. When themixture of oxygenates are produced from biomass-derived oxygenatedhydrocarbons having a greater than or 50% CF C₅₋₆ oxygenatedhydrocarbons, having a % CF ratio of C₂₋₄ oxygenates to C₅₋₆ oxygenatesgreater than or equal to 1.0 indicates that some of the carbon-carbonbonds are broken. This in turn increases the H:C_(eff) ratio byproducing more desirable molecules for the mixture of oxygenates.Without being bound to any particular theory, it is believed that theshorter C₂₋₄ oxygenates are better able to react to form the desiredaromatic molecules and, thereby, produce fewer undesirable alkanes.

A fourth possible attribute of the mixture of oxygenates is that thereis little to no alkanes present. In certain embodiments, the mixture ofoxygenates may include alkanes, with the mixture of oxygenates includingless than or equal to 10% CF alkanes, where the % CF is calculated bydividing the mass of carbon of the component (e.g. mass of carbon in thealkanes) by the mass of carbon in the mixture of oxygenates andmultiplying by 100. In certain embodiments, the mixture of oxygenatesinclude less than or equal to 9% CF alkanes, less than or equal to 8% CFalkanes, less than or equal to 7% CF alkanes, less than or equal to 6%CF alkanes, less than or equal to 5% CF alkanes, less than or equal to4% CF alkanes, less than or equal to 3% CF alkanes, less than or equalto 2% CF alkanes, or less than or equal to 1% CF alkanes. In certainembodiments when the mixture of oxygenates is produced frombiomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons, the alkanes constitute lessthan or equal to 10% CF, less than or equal to 9% CF, less than or equalto 8% CF, less than or equal to 7% CF, less than or equal to 6% CF, lessthan or equal to 5% CF, less than or equal to 4% CF, less than or equalto 3% CF, less than or equal to 2% CF, or less than or equal to 1% CF,where the % CF is calculated by dividing the mass of carbon of thecomponent (e.g. mass of carbon in the alkanes) by the mass of carbon inthe biomass derived aqueous feedstock carbon and multiplying by 100.

The mixture of oxygenates may be produced by any known method. In oneembodiment, the mixture of oxygenates is produced using catalyticreforming technologies, such as the bioreforming technology developed byVirent, Inc. (Madison, Wis.), and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,767,867(Cortright), U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,664 (Cortright), U.S. Pat. No.8,053,615 (Cortright et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 8,017,818 (Cortright etal.), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,977,517 (Cortright et al.), all of which areincorporated herein by reference. Alternative methods includefermentation technologies using enzymes or microorganisms, gasification,pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, solvolysis, and catalyticdeconstruction. The mixture of oxygenates may also be derived fromnatural gas, syn gas or other renewable or non-renewable sources, usingFischer-Tropsch type reactions or reactions directed to the productionof alcohols and other mixed oxygenates. Other known methods forproducing the mixture of oxygenates may be known to those of skill inthe art. The mixture of oxygenates may also be produced by the combiningof oxygenates derived from multiple processes and/or sources.

The term “bioreforming” refers to, without limitation, processes forcatalytically converting biomass and other carbohydrates to lowermolecular weight hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds, such asalcohols, ketones, cyclic ethers, esters, carboxylic acids, aldehydes,dioxygenates, and other polyoxygenated hydrocarbons, using aqueous phasereforming, hydrogenation, hydrogenolyis, hydrodeoxygenation and/or otherconversion processes involving the use of heterogeneous catalysts.Bioreforming also includes the further catalytic conversion of suchlower molecular weight oxygenated compounds to C₄₊ compounds.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 provide examples of bioreforming systems capable ofproducing a mixture of oxygenates in accordance with the presentinvention. FIG. 1, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 provide examples ofbioreforming systems capable of producing a mixture of hydrocarbons inaccordance with the present invention. In these illustrated embodiments,an aqueous feedstock is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of adeoxygenation catalyst to produce a mixture of oxygenates having aH:C_(eff) ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to1.7, and one or more of the above described attributes, and the mixtureof oxygenates can be reacted in the presence of a condensation catalystto produce the mixture of hydrocarbons.

Deoxygenation Catalyst

The deoxygenation catalyst is generally a heterogeneous catalyst capableof catalyzing a reaction between hydrogen and oxygenated hydrocarbons toproduce the desired mixture of oxygenates. In general, the deoxygenationcatalyst will include a crystalline alumina support and a Group VIIImetal, such as Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, or Pt. In contrast to aGroup VIII metal acting alone, the crystalline alumina support is ableto change the activity of the Group VIII metal to advantageously producea mixture of oxygenates having the desired H:C_(eff) ratio between 0.5and 1.7 and, in most instances, the one or more attributes describedabove. As shown in Example 33 and FIG. 7, the preparation of thedeoxygenation catalyst on a theta-alumina support produces substantiallymore dioxygenates and polyoxygenates than the same catalyst on azirconia support. The use of the crystalline alumina support alsosubstantially depresses the production of monooxygenates relative to thezirconia support. Finally, the crystillane alumina support substantiallydepresses the production of alkanes to under 10% of the aqueousfeedstock carbon.

The deoxygenation catalyst may include the above elements alone or incombination with a second metal from Group IB, Group IIB, Group IIIB,Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB, Group VIIB, Group VIII, Group IIIA,Group IVA, and Group VA, including alloys and combinations thereof. Thedeoxygenation catalyst may also include additional metals from Group IB,Group IIB, Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB, Group VIIB, GroupVIII, Group IIIA, Group IVA, and Group VA, including alloys andcombinations thereof, depending on the particular feedstock and desiredmixture of oxygenates. For example, the deoxygenation catalyst mayinclude Ni or Pd, with a second metal of Sn or Mo, or Ni or Pd, with asecond metal of Sn and a third metal of Mo. In one embodiment, thedeoxygenation catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst of Pd or Ni and acrystalline alumina support. In another embodiment, the deoxygenationcatalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst of Ni and Sn and a crystallinealumina support, or a Ni_(n)Sn_(m) alloy and a crystalline aluminasupport, such as Ni₃Sn₁ or Ni₃Sn₂. In yet another embodiment, thedeoxygenation catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst of Pd, Mo and Sn anda crystalline alumina support, including alloys thereof.

Loading of the first Group VIII metal is in the range of 0.25 wt % to 25wt %, with weight percentages of 0.10% and 0.05% increments between,such as 1.00%, 1.10%, 1.15%, 2.00%, 2.50%, 5.00%, 10.00%, 12.50%, 15.00%and 20.00%. The preferred atomic ratio of the second metal is in therange of 0.25-to-1 to 10-to-1, including any ratios between, such as0.50, 1.00, 2.50, 5.00, and 7.50-to-1. The combination of the catalystand the support is from 0.25 wt % to 10 wt % of the Group VIII metal.

In one embodiment, the catalyst support is a transitional aluminasupport, such as a theta-alumina support. The crystalline alumina may beproduced via precipitation from aluminum salts, through sol-gelprocessing, or any other method. The support may be manufactured throughpeptization of a suitable aluminum hydroxide, preferentially boehmite orpseudoboehmite, with nitric acid in the presence of an organic binder,such as hydroxyethyl cellulose. After forming, the support is thencalcined at a final temperature between 900° C. to 1200° C., or greaterthan or equal to 1000° C. A modifying agent may be added to improve thetextural or catalytic properties of the alumina. Such modifying agentsinclude, without limitation, sulfate, silica, Cr, Nb, Mg, Zr, B, Fe, Ce,La, Cu, Co, Mo, Sn, or W.

The support may also be treated or modified to enhance its properties.For example, the support may be treated, as by surface-modification, tomodify surface moieties, such as hydrogen and hydroxyl. Surface hydrogenand hydroxyl groups can cause local pH variations that affect catalyticefficiency. The support may also be modified, for example, by treatingit with sulfates, phosphates, tungsten, silanes, lanthanides, alkalicompounds or alkali earth compounds.

Conventional methods for preparing catalyst systems are well known inthe art. Common methods include incipient wetting, evaporativeimpregnation, chemical vapor deposition, wash-coating, magnetronsputtering techniques, and the like. The method chosen to fabricate thedeoxygenation catalyst is not critical to the process, with the provisothat different catalysts and methods of preparation will yield differentresults, depending upon considerations such as overall surface area,porosity, etc. In one embodiment, the catalyst is prepared by combiningthe Group VIII metal with the second metal from Group IB, Group IIB,Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB, Group VIIB, Group VIII,Group IIIA, Group IVA, and Group VA to produce a mixed metal oxide. Themixed metal oxide is then deposited on the crystalline alumina support.In another embodiment the catalyst is prepared by combining a metal fromGroup IB, Group IIB, Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB, Group VIB, GroupVIIB, Group VIII, Group IIIA, Group IVA, or Group VA mixed withpseudoboehmite (aluminum hydroxide) then calcined to make a mixed oxidecarrier, then a Group VIII metal is deposited on the support. In anotherembodiment, the crystalline alumina support is calcined to generate alower surface area. In certain embodiments, calcination of the aluminasupport may be carried out at temperatures greater than or equal to 800°C., or between 800° C. and 1200° C. In one embodiment the Group VIIImetal is Ni and the second metal is selected from Group IVA on a mixedalumina oxide support or the Group VIII metal. In one embodiment theGroup VIII metal is Pd and the second metal is selected from eitherGroup VIB or Group IVA or both Group VIB and Group IVA.

In one embodiment, the catalyst is reduced utilizing hydrogen gas at agas hourly space velocity (GHSV) between 50 and 5000 mL hydrogen gas/mLcatalyst/hr and at a pressure between atmospheric and 2000 psig. Thecatalyst is reduced using a temperature ramp between 0.1° C./min and 10°C./min to a temperature between 20° C. and 600° C. Once the desiredtemperature is reached, this is followed by a hydrogen soak of between 1and 24 hours. Following reduction, the catalyst is brought to thedesired operating temperatures while in an inert or reducingenvironment. In certain embodiments, the catalyst is reduced withhydrogen at a GHSV of 500-1000 hr⁻¹, 1.0° C./min-8.5° C./min hourtemperature gradient at temperatures between 250° C. and 500° C.,followed by a 1-4 hour hydrogen soak.

In an alternative embodiment, the catalyst may be pre-sulfided. Inanother alternative embodiment, the catalyst is sulfided in-situ.

Feedstocks

Feedstocks comprising oxygenated hydrocarbons useful in the presentinvention may originate from any source, but are preferably derived frombiomass. The feedstocks may be pure materials, purified mixtures, or rawmaterials such as sugars and starches derived from the processing ofcorn, sugarcane, beet sugars, rice, wheat, algae, or energy crops. Thefeedstocks can also be intermediates formed as part of a larger processor in the same process, such as sugar alcohols produced in the initialstage of sugar hydrogenation or sugar degradation products produced fromthe deconstruction of biomass.

As used herein the terms “lignocellulosic biomass” and “biomass” referto, without limitation, organic materials produced by plants (e.g.,wood, leaves, roots, seeds, stalks, etc.), and microbial and animalmetabolic wastes. Common biomass sources include: (1) agriculturalresidues; such as corn stalks, straw, seed hulls, sugarcane leavings,bagasse, nutshells, and manure from cattle, poultry, and hogs; (2) woodmaterials; such as wood, bark, sawdust, timber slash, and mill scrap;(3) municipal waste; such as waste paper and yard clippings; (4) energycrops; such as poplars, willows, pine, switch grass, miscanthus,sorghum, alfalfa, prairie bluestem, corn, soybean, and the like; (5)residual solids from industrial processes; such as lignin from pulpingprocesses, acid hydrolysis, or enzymatic hydrolysis; and (6)algae-derived biomass; including carbohydrates and lipids frommicroalgae (e.g., Botryococcus braunii, Chlorella, Dunalielltertiolecta, Gracilaria, Pleurochyrsis carterae, and Sargassum) andmacroalgae (e.g., seaweed). The term also refers to the primary buildingblocks of the above, namely, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose,derivatives thereof, and carbohydrates, such as saccharides (mono-, di-,oligo-, and polysaccharides), sugars, and starches, among others.

The term “oxygenated hydrocarbon” refers to a water-soluble hydrocarboncontaining three or more carbon atoms and two or more oxygen atoms, suchas carbohydrates (e.g., monosaccharides, disaccharides,oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and starches), sugars (e.g., glucose,sucrose, xylose, etc.), sugar alcohols (e.g., diols, triols, andpolyols), and sugar degradation products (e.g., hydroxymethyl furfural(HMF), levulinic acid, formic acid, and furfural), each of which isrepresented herein as C₃₊O₂₊. As used herein, the term “oxygenatedcompound” or “oxygenate” refers to a molecule having two or more carbonatoms and one or more oxygen atoms (i.e., C₂₊O₁₊); the term“monooxygenates” refers to a hydrocarbon molecule containing two or morecarbon atoms and one oxygen atom (i.e., C₂₊O₁); the term “dioxygenates”refers to a hydrocarbon molecule containing two or more carbon atoms andtwo oxygen atoms (i.e., C₂₊O₂); and the term “polyoxygenates” refers toa hydrocarbon molecule containing two or more carbon atoms and three ormore oxygen atoms (i.e., C₂₊O₃₊).

In addition to the oxygenated hydrocarbons, the feedstock may alsoinclude lignin, one or more extractives, one or more ash components, orone or more organic species (e.g., lignin derivatives). Extractivesinclude terpenoids, stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolics, aliphatics,lignans, alkanes, proteinaceous materials, amino acids, and otherinorganic products. Ash components include Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P,S, Si, Zn, etc. Other organic species include 4-ethyl phenol,4-ethyl-2-methoxy phenol, 2-methoxy-4-propyl phenol, vanillin, 4-propylsyringol, vitamin E, steroids, long chain hydrocarbons, long chain fattyacids, stilbenoids, etc.

In general, the feedstock includes any oxygenated hydrocarbon havingthree or more carbon atoms and an oxygen-to-carbon ratio of between0.5:1 to 1:1.2. In one embodiment, the oxygenated hydrocarbon has 3 to12 carbon atoms or 3 to 6 carbon atoms. In another embodiment, theoxygenated hydrocarbon has more than 12 carbon atoms. Preferredoxygenated hydrocarbons for the present invention are oxygenatedhydrocarbons having 5 or 6 continuous carbon atoms, including oxygenatedhydrocarbons having more than 5 or 6 total carbon atoms. Non-limitingexamples of oxygenated hydrocarbons include monosaccharides,disaccharides, trisaccharides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides,sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, alditols,hemicellulose derivatives, cellulosic derivatives, lignocellulosicderivatives, lignin derivatives, starches, organic acids, polyols, andthe like. In one embodiment, the oxygenated hydrocarbon includespolysaccharides, oligosaccharides, trisaccharides, disaccharides,monosaccharides, sugar, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, andother polyhydric alcohols. In another embodiment, the oxygenatedhydrocarbon is a trisaccharide, a disaccharide, a sugar, such asglucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, mannose or xylose, or asugar alcohol, such as arabitol, erythritol, glycerol, isomalt,lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, arabitol, or a glycol.The oxygenated hydrocarbons may also include alcohols derived by thehydrogenation of the foregoing.

In one embodiment, the feedstock may include oxygenated hydrocarbonssolvated by a solvent. Non-limiting examples of solvents include:organic solvents, such as ionic liquids, acetone, ethanol,4-methyl-2-pentanone, and other oxygenated hydrocarbons; dilute acids,such as acetic acid, oxalic acid, hydrofluoric acid; bioreformingsolvents; and water. The solvents may be from external sources,recycled, or generated in-situ, such as in-situ generated oxygenatedcompounds (e.g. C₂₊O₂₊ oxygenated hydrocarbons).

Production of Oxygenated Compounds

The methods, processes, and techniques of bioreforming have been welldescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,699,457; 6,964,757; 6,964,758; and7,618,612 (all to Cortright et al., and entitled “Low-TemperatureHydrogen Production from Oxygenated Hydrocarbons”); U.S. Pat. No.6,953,873 (to Cortright et al., and entitled “Low-TemperatureHydrocarbon Production from Oxygenated Hydrocarbons”); U.S. Pat. Nos.7,767,867; 7,989,664; 8,198,486; 8,492,595, and U.S. Patent ApplicationPub. No. 2013/0289302 (all to Cortright, and entitled “Methods andSystems for Generating Polyols”); U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,053,615; 8,017,818;7,977,517; 8,362,307; 8,367,882; 8,455,705 and U.S. Patent ApplicationPub. Nos. 2011/0245542 and 2013/0185992 (all to Cortright and Blommel,and entitled “Synthesis of Liquid Fuels and Chemicals from OxygenatedHydrocarbons”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,231,857 (to Cortright, and entitled“Catalysts and Methods for Reforming Oxygenated Compounds”); U.S. Pat.No. 8,350,108 (to Cortright et al., and entitled “Synthesis of LiquidFuels from Biomass”); U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 2011/0160482 (toNagaki et al., and entitled “Improved Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenationof Polyols”); U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 2011/0009614 (to Blommelet al., and entitled “Processes and Reactor Systems for ConvertingSugars to Sugar Alcohols”); International Patent Application No.PCT/US2008/056330 (to Cortright and Blommel, and entitled “Synthesis ofLiquid Fuels and Chemicals from Oxygenated Hydrocarbons”); commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 8,231,857 (to Cortright et al., and entitled“Catalyst and Methods for Reforming Oxygenated Compounds”); and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/586,499 (to Blank et al., and entitled“Improved Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of Oxygenated Hydrocarbons”),all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present inventionprovides an improvement to the current bioreforming technology in thatthe catalysts described above are able to produce a mixture ofoxygenates for making biomass-derived chemicals and fuels with a highyield of aromatic molecules and a low yield of alkanes.

To produce the mixture of oxygenates, the oxygenated hydrocarbon iscombined with water to provide an aqueous feedstock solution having aconcentration effective for causing the formation of the desiredreaction products. The water-to-carbon ratio on a molar basis ispreferably from 0.5:1 to 100:1, including ratios such as 1:1, 2:1, 3:1,4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 10:1, 15:1, 25:1, 50:1 75:1, 100:1, andany ratios there-between. The feedstock solution may also becharacterized as a solution having at least 1.0 weight percent (wt %) ofthe total solution as an oxygenated hydrocarbon. For instance, thesolution may include one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, with the totalconcentration of the oxygenated hydrocarbons in the solution being atleast 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or greater byweight, including any percentages between, and depending on theoxygenated hydrocarbons used. In one embodiment, the feedstock solutionincludes at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 60% of a sugar, such asglucose, fructose, sucrose or xylose, or a sugar alcohol, such assorbitol, mannitol, glycerol or xylitol, by weight. Water-to-carbonratios and percentages outside of the above stated ranges are alsoincluded.

In one embodiment, the feedstock solution is reacted with hydrogen inthe presence of the deoxygenation catalyst at temperatures, pressures,and weight hourly space velocities effective to produce the desiredmixture of oxygenates. The specific mixture of oxygenates produced willdepend on various factors, including the feedstock solution, reactiontemperature, reaction pressure, water concentration, hydrogenconcentration, the reactivity of the catalyst, and the flow rate of thefeedstock solution as it affects the space velocity (the mass/volume ofreactant per unit of catalyst per unit of time), gas hourly spacevelocity (GHSV), and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV). For example,an increase in flow rate, and thereby a reduction of feedstock exposureto the deoxygenation catalyst over time, will limit the extent of thereactions that may occur, thereby causing increased yield for higherlevel dioxygenates and polyoxygenates, with a reduction in ketone,alcohol, and cyclic ether yields.

The reaction temperature and pressures are preferably selected tomaintain at least a portion of the feedstock in the liquid phase at thereactor inlet. It is recognized, however, that temperature and pressureconditions may also be selected to more favorably produce the desiredproducts in the vapor-phase. In general, the reaction should beconducted at process conditions wherein the thermodynamics of theproposed reaction are favorable. For instance, the minimum pressurerequired to maintain a portion of the feedstock in the liquid phase willlikely vary with the reaction temperature. As temperatures increase,higher pressures will generally be required to maintain the feedstock inthe liquid phase, if desired. Pressures above that required to maintainthe feedstock in the liquid phase (i.e., vapor-phase) are also suitableoperating conditions.

In general, the reaction may include a temperature gradient to allowpartial deoxygenation of the oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock attemperatures below the caramelization point of the feedstock. Includinga temperature gradient helps prevent the oxygenated hydrocarbons in thefeedstock from condensing (e.g., caramelizing) on the catalyst andcreating a substantial pressure drop across the reactor that can lead toinoperability of the reactor. The caramelization point, and thereforethe required temperature gradient, will vary depending on the feedstock.In one embodiment, the temperature gradient is below about 300° C., orabove about 80° C., or between about 150° C. to 300° C., or betweenabout 200° C. to 290° C. In another embodiment, a temperature gradientis not employed.

In condensed phase liquid reactions, the pressure within the reactormust be sufficient to maintain the reactants in the condensed liquidphase at the reactor inlet. For liquid phase reactions, the reactiontemperature may be greater than about 80° C., or 110° C., or 120° C., or130° C., or 140° C. or 150° C., or 160° C., or 170° C., or 180° C., or190° C., or 200° C., and less than about 350° C., or 325° C., or 290°C., or 280° C., or 270° C., or 260° C., or 250° C., or 240° C., or 230°C., or 220° C. The reaction pressure may be greater than about 70 psig,or 85 psig, or 100 psig, or 115 psig, or 130 psig, or 145 psig, or 160psig, or 175 psig, or 190 psig, or 205 psig, or 220 psig, or 235 psig,or 250 psig, or 265 psig, or 280 psig, or 295 psig, or 310 psig, or 325psig, or 375 psig, or 425 psig, or 475 psig, or 550 psig, or 625 psig,or 775 psig, or 925 psig, or 1050 psig, and less than about 3000 psig,or 2950 psig, 2900 psig, 2850 psig, 2800 psig, 2750 psig, 2700 psig,2650 psig, 2600 psig, 2550 psig, or 2500 psig, or 2450 psig, or 2400psig, or 2350 psig, or 2300 psig, or 2250 psig, or 2200 psig, or 2150psig, or 2100 psig, or 2050 psig, or 2000 psig, or 1950 psig, or 1900psig, or 1850 psig, or 1800 psig. In certain embodiments, the reactiontemperature is between about 120° C. and 300° C., or between about 200°C. and 300° C., or between about 270° C. and 290° C., and the reactionpressure is between about 145 and 1950 psig, or between about 1000 and1900 psig, or between about 1050 and 1800 psig.

For vapor phase reactions, the reaction may be carried out at atemperature where the vapor pressure of the oxygenated hydrocarbon is atleast about 0.1 atm, preferably higher (e.g., 350 psig), and thethermodynamics of the reaction are favorable. This temperature will varydepending upon the specific oxygenated hydrocarbon compound used andoperating pressure, but is generally greater than about 100° C., or 120°C., or 160° C., or 200° C., or 250° C., and less than about 600° C., or500° C., or 400° C. for vapor phase reactions. In certain embodiments,the reaction temperature is between about 120° C. and about 500° C., orbetween about 250° C. and about 400° C.

In general, the reaction should be conducted under conditions where theresidence time of the feedstock solution over the catalyst isappropriate to generate the desired products. For example, the WHSV forthe reaction may be at least about 0.01 gram of oxygenated hydrocarbonper gram of catalyst per hour, and more preferably the WHSV is about0.01 to 40.0 g/g hr, including a WHSV of about 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075,0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8,1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2,3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6,4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35,40 g/g hr, and ratios between (including 0.77, 0.78, 0.79, 2.61, 2.62,2.63, etc.).

The hydrogen used in the reaction is preferably external hydrogen, butmay be generated in-situ using aqueous phase reforming(in-situ-generated H₂ or APR H₂), or a combination of APR H₂, externalH₂ or recycled H₂, or just simply external H₂ or recycled H₂. The term“external H₂” refers to hydrogen that does not originate from thefeedstock solution, but is added to the reactor system from an externalsource. The term “recycled H₂” refers to unconsumed hydrogen, which iscollected and then recycled back into the reactor system for furtheruse. External H₂ and recycled H₂ may also be referred to collectively orindividually as “supplemental H₂.” In general, supplemental H₂ may beadded for purposes of supplementing the APR hydrogen, or to increase thereaction pressure within the system, or to increase the molar ratio ofhydrogen to carbon and/or oxygen in order to enhance the productionyield of certain reaction product types.

The amount (moles) of external hydrogen or recycled hydrogen introducedto the feedstock may be between about 0-2400%, 5-2400%, 10-2400%,15-2400%, 20-2400%, 25-2400%, 30-2400%, 35-2400%, 40-2400%, 45-2400%,50-2400%, 55-2400%, 60-2400%, 65-2400%, 70-2400%, 75-2400%, 80-2400%,85-2400%, 90-2400%, 95-2400%, 98-2400%, 100-2400%, 200-2400%, 300-2400%,400-2400%, 500-2400%, 600-2400%, 700-2400%, 800-2400%, 900-2400%,1000-2400%, 1100-2400%, or 1150-2400%, or 1200-2400%, or 1300-2400%, or1400-2400%, or 1500-2400%, or 1600-2400%, or 1700-2400%, or 1800-2400%,or 1900-2400%, or 2000-2400%, or 2100-2400%, or 2200-2400%, or2300-2400% of the total number of moles of the oxygenated hydrocarbon(s)in the feedstock, including all intervals between. When the feedstocksolution, or any portion thereof, is reacted with in-situ generatedhydrogen and external hydrogen or recycled hydrogen, the molar ratio ofin-situ generated hydrogen to external hydrogen (or recycled hydrogen)is at least 1:100, 1:50, 1:20; 1:15, 1:10, 1:5; 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1,5:1, 10:1, 15:1, 20:1, 50:1, 100:1 and ratios between (including 4:1,6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, 11:1, 12:1, 13:1, 14:1, 15:1, 16:1, 17:1, 18:1 and19:1, and vice-versa).

Oxygenate Recycle

Recycle streams may be used to maximize product yields and reducecatalyst deactivation. The product of the deoxygenation reactionincludes the desired C₂₊O₂₊ oxygenated compounds and partiallydeoxygenated hydrocarbons (e.g., disaccharides, monosaccharides, sugars,sugar alcohols, alditols, heavy organic acids, and heavy diols, triols,and other polyols). Recycling these partially deoxygenated hydrocarbonsback into the deoxygenation reactor system reduces the carbohydrateconcentration entering the deoxygenation reactor system by diluting thecarbohydrate-rich feedstock solution with partially deoxygenatedhydrocarbons. Diluting the highly reactive carbohydrate feed streamminimizes condensation reactions in the deoxygenation reactor system tohelp avoid the feedstock condensing on the deoxygenation catalyst,fouling the catalyst, and requiring frequent catalyst changes and/orregeneration. The use of a recycle stream also allows for higher feedstream temperatures. In certain embodiments the preferred recycle tofresh feed weight ratio is in the range of about 0.25-to-1 to 10-to-1,including any ratios between, such as about 0.50, 1.00, 2.50, 4.00,5.00, and 7.50-to-1.

Reactor System

The deoxygenation reactions may be carried out in any reactor ofsuitable design, including continuous-flow, batch, semi-batch ormulti-system reactors, without limitation as to design, size, geometry,flow rates, etc. The reactor system may also use a fluidized catalyticbed system, a swing bed system, fixed bed system, a moving bed system,or a combination of the above. In one embodiment, the process is carriedout using a continuous-flow system at steady-state equilibrium.

FIG. 1 (without an aqueous recycle stream) and FIG. 2 (with an aqueousrecycle stream) are schematic illustrations showing embodiments forconverting a biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock solutionto a final desired product using a single reactor containing adeoxygenation catalyst on a support. In one embodiment, multipledeoxygenation reactors are used to control the reaction exotherm. Incertain embodiments the feedstock solution includes a solvent (e.g.,water, recycled partially deoxygenated hydrocarbons, etc.) combined withone or more oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as carbohydrates (e.g.,monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, andstarches), sugars (e.g., glucose, sucrose, xylose, etc.), sugar alcohols(e.g., diols, triols, and polyols), and sugar degradation products(e.g., hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), levulinic acid, formic acid, andfurfural). As described above, in certain embodiments the feedstock mayalso include ash components, extractives, phenolics, etc. In oneembodiment the feedstock is fed via a pump to the deoxygenation reactorsystem having the deoxygenation catalyst on a support, where itsubsequently reacts with hydrogen to generate an oxygenate mixturehaving a H:C_(eff) ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than orequal to 1.7, and one or more of the above described attributes.

In one embodiment the mixture is passed through a three-phase separatorto separate the non-condensed gases (such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide,methane, ethane, and propane) from an organic products stream and anaqueous stream. The non-condensed gases are removed via an off-gasstream. The non-condensable stream can be either combusted to createprocess heat (i.e., heat for driving the reaction in the deoxygenationreactor), or sent to a separation system where hydrogen can be recoveredfor recycle back to the hydrogen stream. The aqueous stream, containingpartially deoxygenated hydrocarbons, may be recycled back to the reactorinlet. An aqueous stream purge, including some monooxygenates (e.g.,alcohols), can be used to prevent a build-up of water in the reactorsystem.

Condensation

The mixture of oxygenates produced by the methods described above can becollected and used in industrial applications, or converted into C₄₊compounds by condensation reactions catalyzed by a condensationcatalyst. In particular, the C₄₊ compounds include aryls comprisinggreater than or equal to 50% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon and C₄₊alkanes comprising less than or equal to 20% CF of the aqueous feedstockcarbon.

Without being limited to any specific theories, it is believed that thecondensation reactions generally consist of a series of steps involving:(a) the dehydration of oxygenates to alkenes; (b) oligomerization of thealkenes; (c) cracking reactions; (d) cyclization of larger alkenes toform aromatics; (e) alkane isomerization; (f) hydrogen-transferreactions to form alkanes. The reactions may also consist of a series ofsteps involving: (1) aldol condensation to form a β-hydroxyketone orβ-hydroxyaldehyde; (2) dehydration of the β-hydroxyketone orβ-hydroxyaldehyde to form a conjugated enone; (3) hydrogenation of theconjugated enone to form a ketone or aldehyde, which may participate infurther condensation reactions or conversion to an alcohol orhydrocarbon; and (4) hydrogenation of carbonyls to alcohols, orvice-versa. Other condensation reactions may occur in parallel,including aldol condensation, prins reactions, ketonization of acids,and Diels-Alder condensation.

The condensation catalyst will generally be a catalyst capable offorming longer chain compounds by linking two oxygen containing species,or other functionalized compounds (e.g., olefins), through a newcarbon-carbon bond, and converting the resulting compound to ahydrocarbon, alcohol or ketone. The condensation catalyst may include,without limitation, carbides, nitrides, zirconia, alumina, silica,aluminosilicates, phosphates, zeolites, titanium oxides, zinc oxides,vanadium oxides, lanthanum oxides, yttrium oxides, scandium oxides,magnesium oxides, cerium oxides, barium oxides, calcium oxides,hydroxides, heteropolyacids, inorganic acids, acid modified resins, basemodified resins, and combinations thereof. The condensation catalyst mayinclude the above alone or in combination with a modifier, such as Ce,La, Y, Sc, P, B, Bi, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and combinationsthereof. The condensation catalyst may also include a metal, such as Cu,Ag, Au, Pt, Ni, Fe, Co, Ru, Zn, Cd, Ga, In, Rh, Pd, Ir, Re, Mn, Cr, Mo,W, Sn, Os, alloys and combinations thereof, to provide a metalfunctionality.

In certain embodiments the condensation catalyst may include, withoutlimitation, carbides, nitrides, zirconia, alumina, silica,aluminosilicates, phosphates, zeolites (e.g., ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12,ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ZSM-48), titanium oxides, zinc oxides,vanadium oxides, lanthanum oxides, yttrium oxides, scandium oxides,magnesium oxides, cerium oxides, barium oxides, calcium oxides,hydroxides, heteropolyacids, inorganic acids, acid modified resins, basemodified resins, and combinations thereof. The condensation catalyst mayalso include a metal, such as Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ni, Fe, Co, Ru, Zn, Cd,Ga, In, Rh, Pd, Ir, Re, Mn, Cr, Mo, W, Sn, Os, alloys and combinationsthereof, to provide a metal functionality.

The condensation catalyst may be self-supporting (i.e., the catalystdoes not need another material to serve as a support), or may require aseparate support suitable for suspending the catalyst in the reactantstream. In certain embodiments the support is selected from the groupconsisting of alumina, silica, and zirconia. In other embodiments,particularly when the condensation catalyst is a powder, the catalystsystem may include a binder to assist in forming the catalyst into adesirable catalyst shape. Applicable forming processes includeextrusion, pelletization, oil dropping, or other known processes. Zincoxide, alumina, and a peptizing agent may also be mixed together andextruded to produce a formed material. After drying, this material iscalcined at a temperature appropriate for formation of the catalyticallyactive phase, which usually requires temperatures in excess of 350° C.Other catalyst supports may include those described in further detailbelow.

In one embodiment the condensation reaction may be performed using acatalyst having acidic functionality. The acid catalysts may include,without limitation, aluminosilicates (zeolites), silica-aluminaphosphates (SAPO), aluminum phosphates (AlPO), amorphous silica alumina,zirconia, sulfated zirconia, tungstated zirconia, tungsten carbide,molybdenum carbide, titania, acidic alumina, phosphated alumina,phosphated silica, sulfated carbons, phosphated carbons, acidic resins,heteropolyacids, inorganic acids, and combinations thereof. In oneembodiment, the catalyst may also include a modifier, such as Ce, La, Y,Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, P, B, Bi, and combinations thereof.The catalyst may also be modified by the addition of a metal, such asCu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ni, Fe, Co, Ru, Rh, Zn, Ga, In, Pd, Ir, Re, Mn, Cr, Mo,W, Sn, Os, alloys and combinations thereof, to provide metalfunctionality, and/or sulfides and oxides of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, Cr,W, Mn, Re, Al, Ga, In, Fe, Co, Ir, Ni, Si, Cu, Zn, Sn, P, andcombinations thereof. Tungstated zirconia, an exemplary catalyst for usein the present process, may be modified with Cu, Pd, Ag, Pt, Ru, Re, Ni,Sn and combinations thereof. The acid catalyst may be homogenous,self-supporting or adhered to any one of the supports further describedbelow, including supports containing carbon, silica, alumina, zirconia,titania, vanadia, ceria, heteropolyacids, alloys and mixtures thereof.

The condensation catalyst may be a zeolite catalyst. The term “zeolite”as used herein refers not only to microporous crystallinealuminosilicate, but also microporous crystalline metal-containingaluminosilicate structures, such as galloaluminosilicates andgallosilicates. In such instances, In, Zn, Fe, Mo, Ag, Au, Ni, P, Y, Ta,and lanthanides may be exchanged onto zeolites to provide the desiredactivity. Metal functionality may be provided by metals such as Cu, Ag,Au, Pt, Ni, Fe, Co, Ru, Zn, In, Rh, Pd, Ir, Re, Mn, Cr, Mo, W, Sn, Os,alloys and combinations thereof.

The condensation catalyst may include one or more zeolite structurescomprising cage-like structures of silica-alumina. Zeolites arecrystalline microporous materials with well-defined pore structures.Zeolites contain active sites, usually acid sites, which can begenerated in the zeolite framework. The strength and concentration ofthe active sites can be tailored for particular applications. Examplesof suitable zeolites for condensing secondary alcohols and alkanes maycomprise aluminosilicates, optionally modified with cations, such as Ga,In, Zn, Mo, and mixtures of such cations, as described, for example, inU.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886, which is incorporated herein by reference. Asrecognized in the art, the structure of the particular zeolite orzeolites may be altered to provide different amounts of varioushydrocarbon species in the product mixture. Depending on the structureof the zeolite catalyst, the product mixture may contain various amountsof aromatic and cyclic hydrocarbons.

Examples of suitable zeolite catalysts include ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12,ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ZSM-48. Zeolite ZSM-5, and the conventionalpreparation thereof, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886; Re. 29,948(highly siliceous ZSM-5); U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,100,262 and 4,139,600, allincorporated herein by reference. Zeolite ZSM-11, and the conventionalpreparation thereof, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979, which isalso incorporated herein by reference. Zeolite ZSM-12, and theconventional preparation thereof, is described in U.S. Pat. No.3,832,449, incorporated herein by reference. Zeolite ZSM-23, and theconventional preparation thereof, is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,076,842, incorporated herein by reference. Zeolite ZSM-35, and theconventional preparation thereof, is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,016,245, incorporated herein by reference. Another preparation ofZSM-35 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,195, the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference. ZSM-48, and the conventionalpreparation thereof, is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,573, incorporatedherein by reference. Other examples of zeolite catalysts are describedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,663 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,888, alsoincorporated herein by reference. An exemplary condensation catalyst isa ZSM-5 zeolite modified with Cu, Pd, Ag, Pt, Ru, Re, Ni, Sn, orcombinations thereof.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,888, the condensation catalyst maybe a bifunctional pentasil zeolite catalyst including at least onemetallic element from the group of Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ni, Fe, Co, Ru, Zn,Cd, In, Rh, Pd, Ir, Re, Mn, Cr, Mo, W, Sn, Os, alloys and combinationsthereof, or a modifier from the group of In, Zn, Fe, Mo, Au, Ag, Y, Sc,Ni, P, Ta, lanthanides, and combinations thereof. The zeolite may havestrong acidic sites, and may be used with reactant streams containing anoxygenated hydrocarbon at a temperature of below 580° C. Thebifunctional pentasil zeolite may have ZSM-5, ZSM-8 or ZSM-11 typecrystal structure consisting of a large number of 5-memberedoxygen-rings (i.e., pentasil rings). In one embodiment the zeolite willhave a ZSM-5 type structure.

Alternatively, solid acid catalysts such as alumina modified withphosphates, chloride, silica, and other acidic oxides may be used in theprocess. Also, sulfated zirconia, phosphated zirconia, titania zirconia,or tungstated zirconia may provide the necessary acidity. Re and Pt/Recatalysts are also useful for promoting condensation of oxygenates toC₅₊ hydrocarbons and/or C₅₊ mono-oxygenates. The Re is sufficientlyacidic to promote acid-catalyzed condensation. In certain embodiments,acidity may also be added to activated carbon by the addition of eithersulfates or phosphates.

The specific C₄₊ compounds produced will depend on various factors,including, without limitation, the type of oxygenated compounds in thereactant stream, condensation temperature, condensation pressure, thereactivity of the catalyst, and the flow rate of the reactant stream asit affects the space velocity, GHSV, LHSV, and WHSV. In certainembodiments, the reactant stream is contacted with the condensationcatalyst at a WHSV that is appropriate to produce the desiredhydrocarbon products. In one embodiment the WHSV is at least 0.1 gramsof volatile (C₂₊O₁₋₃) oxygenates in the reactant stream per gramcatalyst per hour. In another embodiment the WHSV is between 0.1 to 10.0g/g hr, including a WHSV of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 g/g hr, andincrements between.

In certain embodiments the condensation reaction is carried out at atemperature and pressure at which the thermodynamics of the proposedreaction are favorable. For volatile C₂₊O₁₋₃ oxygenates the reaction maybe carried out at a temperature where the vapor pressure of the volatileoxygenates is at least 0.1 atm (and preferably a good deal higher). Thecondensation temperature will vary depending upon the specificcomposition of the oxygenated compounds. The condensation temperaturewill generally be greater than 80° C., or 100° C., or 125° C., or 150°C., or 175° C., or 200° C., or 225° C., or 250° C., and less than 500°C., or 450° C., or 425° C., or 375° C., or 325° C., or 275° C. Forexample, the condensation temperature may be between 80° C. to 500° C.,or between 125° C. to 450° C., or between 250° C. to 425° C. Thecondensation pressure will generally be greater than 0 psig, or 10 psig,or 100 psig, or 200 psig, and less than 2000 psig, or 1800 psig or, or1600 psig, or 1500 psig, or 1400 psig, or 1300 psig, or 1200 psig, or1100 psig, or 1000 psig, or 900 psig, or 700 psig. For example, thecondensation pressure may be greater than 0.1 atm, or between 0 and 1500psig, or between 0 and 1200 psig.

Condensation Products

The condensation reactions of the present invention can be used in theproduction of C₄₊ alkanes, C₄₊ alkenes, C₅₊ cycloalkanes, C₅₊cycloalkenes, aryls, fused aryls, polycyclic compounds, C₄₊ alcohols,C₄₊ ketones, C₄₊ furans and mixtures thereof, with an advantageouslyhigh proportion of aryls and a low proportion of alkanes. In particular,the use of the above described mixture of oxygenates results in an arylyield greater than or equal to 50% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbonand a C₄₊ alkane yield less than or equal to 20% CF of the aqueousfeedstock carbon. In certain embodiments, the aryls yield can be greaterthan or equal to 55 wt %, greater than or equal to 60% CF, or greaterthan or equal to 65% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon. In certainembodiments, the C₄₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 15% CF, lessthan or equal to 10% CF, or less than or equal to 5% CF of the aqueousfeedstock carbon. In certain other embodiments, the product may furthercomprise C₁₋₃ alkanes with the total C₁₊ alkane yield less than or equalto 20% CF, less than or equal to 15% CF, less than or equal to 10% CF,or less than or equal to 5% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon.

In certain embodiments, the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 55%CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon and the C₄₊ alkane yield is less thanor equal to 15% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon. In anotherembodiment the aryls yield is greater than or equal to 60% CF of theaqueous feedstock carbon and the C₄₊ alkane yield is less than or equalto 10% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon. In further embodiments, thearyls yield is greater than or equal to 55% CF of the aqueous feedstockcarbon and the C₁₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 15% CF of theaqueous feedstock carbon. In yet other embodiments, the aryls yield isgreater than or equal to 60% CF of the aqueous feedstock carbon and theC₁₊ alkane yield is less than or equal to 10% CF of the aqueousfeedstock carbon.

The C₄₊ alkanes and C₄₊ alkenes have from 4 to 30 carbon atoms (C₄₊alkanes and C₄₊ alkenes) and may be branched or straight chained alkanesor alkenes. The C₄₊ alkanes and C₄₊ alkenes may also include fractionsof C₄₋₉, C₇₋₁₄, C₁₂₋₂₄ alkanes and alkenes, respectively, with the C₄₋₉fraction directed to gasoline, the C₇₋₁₆ fraction directed to jet fuels,and the C₁₁₋₂₄ fraction directed to diesel fuel and other industrialapplications, such as chemicals. Examples of various C₄₊ alkanes and C₄₊alkenes include, without limitation, butane, butene, pentane, pentene,2-methylbutane, hexane, hexene, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane,2,2-dimethylbutane, 2,3-dimethylbutane, heptane, heptene, octane,octene, 2,2,4,-trimethylpentane, 2,3-dimethyl hexane,2,3,4-trimethylpentane, 2,3-dimethylpentane, nonane, nonene, decane,decene, undecane, undecene, dodecane, dodecene, tridecane, tridecene,tetradecane, tetradecene, pentadecane, pentadecene, hexadecane,hexadecene, heptyldecane, heptyldecene, octyldecane, octyldecene,nonyldecane, nonyldecene, eicosane, eicosene, uneicosane, uneicosene,doeicosane, doeicosene, trieicosane, trieicosene, tetraeicosane,tetraeicosene, and isomers thereof.

The C₅₊ cycloalkanes and C₅₊ cycloalkenes have from 5 to 30 carbon atomsand may be unsubstituted, mono-substituted or multi-substituted. In thecase of mono-substituted and multi-substituted compounds, thesubstituted group may include a branched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₊alkyl, a branched C₃₊ alkylene, a straight chain C₂₊ alkylene, a phenylor a combination thereof. By way of example, at least one of thesubstituted groups include a branched C₃₋₁₂ alkyl, a straight chainC₁₋₁₂ alkyl, a branched C₃₋₁₂ alkylene, a straight chain C₁₋₁₂ alkylene,a straight chain C₂₋₁₂ alkylene, a phenyl or a combination thereof. Byway of further example, at least one of the substituted groups include abranched C₃₋₄ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₋₄ alkyl, a branched C₁₋₄alkylene, straight chain C₁₋₄ alkylene, straight chain C₂₋₄ alkylene, aphenyl or a combination thereof. Examples of desirable C₅₊ cycloalkanesand C₅₊ cycloalkenes include, without limitation, cyclopentane,cyclopentene, cyclohexane, cyclohexene, methyl-cyclopentane,methyl-cyclopentene, ethyl-cyclopentane, ethyl-cyclopentene,ethyl-cyclohexane, ethyl-cyclohexene, propyl-cyclohexane,butyl-cyclopentane, butyl-cyclohexane, pentyl-cyclopentane,pentyl-cyclohexane, hexyl-cyclopentane, hexyl-cyclohexane, and isomersthereof.

Aryls will generally consist of an aromatic hydrocarbon in either anunsubstituted (phenyl), mono-substituted or multi-substituted form. Inthe case of mono-substituted and multi-substituted compounds, thesubstituted group may include a branched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₊alkyl, a branched C₃₊ alkylene, a straight chain C₂₊ alkylene, a phenylor a combination thereof. By way of example, at least one of thesubstituted groups include a branched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₋₁₂alkyl, a branched C₃₋₁₂ alkylene, a straight chain C₂₋₁₂ alkylene, aphenyl or a combination thereof. By way of further example, at least oneof the substituted groups include a branched C₃₋₄ alkyl, a straightchain C₁₋₄ alkyl, a branched C₃₋₄ alkylene, straight chain C₂₋₄alkylene, a phenyl or a combination thereof. Examples of various arylsinclude, without limitation, benzene, toluene, xylene (dimethylbenzene),ethyl benzene, para xylene, meta xylene, ortho xylene, C₉₊ aromatics,butyl benzene, pentyl benzene, hexyl benzene, heptyl benzene, oxtylbenzene, nonyl benzene, decyl benzene, undecyl benzene, and isomersthereof.

Fused aryls will generally consist of bicyclic and polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons, in either an unsubstituted, mono-substituted, ormulti-substituted form. In the case of mono-substituted andmulti-substituted compounds, the substituted group may include abranched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₊ alkyl, a branched C₃₊ alkylene,a straight chain C₂₊ alkylene, a phenyl or a combination thereof. By wayof example, at least one of the substituted groups include a branchedC₃₋₄ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₋₄ alkyl, a branched C₃₋₄ alkylene,straight chain C₂₋₄ alkylene, a phenyl or a combination thereof.Examples of various fused aryls include, without limitation,naphthalene, anthracene, and isomers thereof.

Polycyclic compounds will generally consist of bicyclic and polycyclichydrocarbons, in either an unsubstituted, mono-substituted, ormulti-substituted form. Although polycyclic compounds generally includefused aryls, as used herein the polycyclic compounds generally have atleast one saturated or partially saturated ring. In the case ofmono-substituted and multi-substituted compounds, the substituted groupmay include a branched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₊ alkyl, a branchedC₃₊ alkylene, a straight chain C₂₊ alkylene, a phenyl or a combinationthereof. By way of example, at least one of the substituted groupsinclude a branched C₃₋₄ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₋₄ alkyl, a branchedC₃₋₄ alkylene, straight chain C₂₋₄ alkylene, a phenyl or a combinationthereof. Examples of various fused aryls include, without limitation,tetrahydronaphthalene and decahydronaphthalene, and isomers thereof.

The C₄₊ alcohols may also be cyclic, branched or straight chained, andhave from 4 to 30 carbon atoms. In general, the C₄₊ alcohols may be acompound according to the formula R¹—OH, wherein R¹ is a member selectedfrom the group consisting of a branched C₄₊ alkyl, straight chain C₄₊alkyl, a branched C₄₊ alkylene, a straight chain C₄₊ alkylene, asubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkane, an unsubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkane, asubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkene, an unsubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkene, an aryl,a phenyl and combinations thereof. Examples of desirable C₄₊ alcoholsinclude, without limitation, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol,octanol, nonanol, decanol, undecanol, dodecanol, tridecanol,tetradecanol, pentadecanol, hexadecanol, heptyldecanol, octyldecanol,nonyldecanol, eicosanol, uneicosanol, doeicosanol, trieicosanol,tetraeicosanol, and isomers thereof.

The C₄₊ ketones may also be cyclic, branched or straight chained, andhave from 4 to 30 carbon atoms. In general, the C₄₊ ketone may be acompound according to the formula

wherein R³ and R⁴ are independently a member selected from the groupconsisting of a branched C₃₊ alkyl, a straight chain C₁₊ alkyl, abranched C₃₊ alkylene, a straight chain C₂₊ alkylene, a substituted C₅₊cycloalkane, an unsubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkane, a substituted C₅₊cycloalkene, an unsubstituted C₅₊ cycloalkene, an aryl, a phenyl and acombination thereof. Examples of desirable C₄₊ ketones include, withoutlimitation, butanone, pentanone, hexanone, heptanone, octanone,nonanone, decanone, undecanone, dodecanone, tridecanone, tetradecanone,pentadecanone, hexadecanone, heptyldecanone, octyldecanone,nonyldecanone, eicosanone, uneicosanone, doeicosanone, trieicosanone,tetraeicosanone, and isomers thereof.

Liquid Fuels and Chemicals

The C₄₊ compounds derived from the condensation reactions describedabove can be fractionated and used in aromatic-rich liquid fuels, suchas gasoline, jet fuel (kerosene) or diesel fuel. The C₄₊ compounds canalso be fractionated and used in chemical processes, such as thosecommon to the petro-chemical industry. For example, the product streamfrom the process can be fractionated to collect xylenes for use in theproduction of phthalic acid, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), andultimately renewable plastics or solvents. Benzene can also be collectedand processed for the production of renewable polystyrenes,polycarbonates, polyurethane, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, and nylon.Toluene can be collected and processed for the production of toluenediisocyanate, and ultimately renewable solvents, polyurethane foam orTNT, among others.

In one embodiment, the C₄₊ compounds derived from the process areseparated into various distillation fractions by any means known forliquid fuel compositions. In such applications, the product streamhaving at least one C₄₊ compound derived from the process is separatedinto more than one distillation fraction, wherein at least one of thedistillation fractions is a lighter, moderate or heavier fraction. Thelighter fractions, primarily C₄₋₉, i.e., C₄, C₅, C₆, C₇, C₈, and C₉, maybe separated for gasoline use. The moderate fractions, primarily C₇₋₁₄,i.e., C₇, C₈, C₉, C₁₀, C₁₁, C₁₂, C₁₃, and C₁₄, may be separated for useas kerosene, e.g., for jet fuel use. Heavier fractions, primarilyC₁₂₋₂₄, i.e., C₁₂, C₁₃, C₁₄, C₁₅, C₁₆, C₁₇, C₁₈, C₁₉, C₂₀, C₂₁, C₂₂,C₂₃, and C₂₄, may be separated for diesel fuel use. The heaviestfractions, C₂₅₊ and C₃₀₊, i.e., C₂₅, C₂₆, C₂₇, C₂₈, C₂₉, C₃₀, C₃₁, C₃₂,C₃₃, C₃₄, C₃₅, etc., may be used as lubricants, fuel oils, or may becracked to produce additional fractions for use in gasoline, keroseneand/or diesel fractions.

Because the C₄₊ compounds are derived from biomass, the age of thecompounds, or fractions containing the compounds, is less than 500 yearsold, preferably less than 40 years old, more preferably less than 20years old, as calculated from the ¹⁴C concentration of the component.

The following examples are to be illustrative and should not beconstrued to limit the scope of protection sought, which is defined bythe appended claims.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Production of Aromatic Molecules

Feeds composed of a mixture of oxygenates and water as defined in Table1 were reacted in the presence of a Ni-modified ZSM-5 catalyst todetermine the impact of feed composition on product selectivity andyield. The reactor system is shown in FIG. 1. The catalyst was loaded asan 8 inch packed bed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Beforefeed was introduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditionswere set at 350° C., 100 psig, and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV)of 2 grams of oxygenated hydrocarbons per gram of catalyst per hour.

TABLE 1 Feed composition. Prop. n-propanol Glycol Water (wt %) (wt %) %CF Feed (wt %) [% CF] [% CF] Ratio H:C_(eff) 1 48.8 51.2 [100]  N/A[0.0]  0.0 2.0 2 51.6 23.8 [55.1] 24.6 [44.9] 0.8 1.7 3 52.7 13.0 [32.4]34.3 [67.6] 2.0 1.55 4 53.6 3.7 [9.9] 42.7 [90.1] 9.1 1.4

Table 2 shows the conversion of the model feeds to hydrocarbon products.Each feed exhibited comparable feed conversion, and at least 98% of thefeed carbon was converted to hydrocarbon products. Although thefeedstocks exhibited similar total conversion, product selectivityvaried significantly. As the content of propylene glycol in the feedincreased, an increase in the aromatic hydrocarbons was observed alongwith a reduction in alkane production. As Table 2 shows that theincrease of aromatic hydrocarbon production came at the expense of thealkane production.

TABLE 2 Product composition as a function of feed composition. ProductComposition (% CF) Feed CO + CO₂ Paraffins Olefins Aromatics Oxygenates1 0.1 46.9 7.8 30.6 0.6 2 0.3 17.2 8.7 51.1 1.3 3 0.6 10.4 8.3 60.4 2.04 1.1 6.7 10.1 65.4 1.5

Example 2 Production of Aromatic Molecules

Feeds composed of a mixture of oxygenates and water as defined in Table3 were reacted in the presence of a Ni-modified ZSM-5 catalyst todetermine the impact of feed composition on product selectivity andyield. The reactor system is shown in FIG. 1. The catalyst was loaded asan 8 inch packed bed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Beforefeed was introduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditionswere set at 350° C., 100 psig, and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV)of 2 grams of oxygenated hydrocarbons per gram of catalyst per hour.

TABLE 3 Feed Composition Propyl n-propanol Propanoate Water (wt %) (wt%) % CF Feed (wt %) [% CF] [% CF] Ratio H:C_(eff) 1 48.8 51.2 [100]  N/A[0.0]  0.0 2.0 2 44.1 30.7 [60.7] 25.2 [39.3] 0.8 1.7 3 41.3 18.6 [37.0]40.1 [63.0] 2.2 1.55

Table 4 shows the conversion of the model feeds to hydrocarbon products.Each feed exhibited comparable feed conversion, and at least 96% of thefeed carbon was converted to hydrocarbon products. Although thefeedstocks exhibited similar total conversion, product selectivityvaried significantly. As the content of propyl propanoate in the feedincreased, an increase in the aromatic hydrocarbons was observed. Incontrast, alkane production decreased as the propylene glycol in thefeed increased. As the H:C_(eff) decreased, the aromatic hydrocarbonproduction increased and the alkane production decreased.

TABLE 4 Product composition as a function of feed composition ProductComposition (% CF) Feed CO + CO₂ Paraffins Olefins Aromatics Oxygenates1 0.1 46.9 7.8 30.6 0.4 2 0.3 21.1 13.3 49.1 1.3 3 0.3 8.1 16.7 51.0 3.4

Example 3 Production of Aromatic Molecules

Feeds composed of a mixture of oxygenates and water as defined in Table5 were reacted with a Ni-modified ZSM-5 catalyst to determine the impactof feed composition on product selectivity and yield. The reactor systemis shown in FIG. 1. The catalyst was loaded as an 8 inch packed bed in a1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Before feed was introduced, thecatalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditions were set at 350° C., 100psig, and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 2 grams of oxygenatedhydrocarbons per gram of catalyst per hour.

TABLE 5 Feed Composition Propionic n-propanol Acid Water (wt %) (wt %) %CF Feed (wt %) [% CF] [% CF] Ratio H:C_(eff) 1 48.8 51.2 [100]  N/A[0.0]  0.0 2.0 2 44.8 33.9 [66.8] 21.3 [33.2] 0.5 1.55

Table 6 shows the conversion of the model feeds to hydrocarbon products.Each feed exhibited comparable feed conversion, and at least 97% of thefeed carbon was converted to hydrocarbon products. Although thefeedstocks exhibited similar total conversion, product selectivityvaried significantly. As the content of propionic acid in the feedincreased, an increase in the aromatic hydrocarbons was observed. Incontrast, alkane production decreased as the propylene glycol in thefeed increased. As the H:C_(eff) decreased, the aromatic hydrocarbonproduction increased and the alkane production decreased.

TABLE 6 Product composition as a function of feed composition ProductComposition (% CF) Feed CO + CO₂ Paraffins Olefins Aromatics Oxygenates1 0.1 46.9 7.8 30.6 0.4 2 0.4 10.6 14.0 55.3 3.0

Example 4 NiSn Catalyst Synthesis

In a beaker, 4.515 g of Tin (IV) Chloride pentahydrate (Riedel de Haen)was diluted to 45 mL with water and added via incipient wetnesstechnique to 75 grams of a crystalline alumina (Norpro). The materialwas transferred to a static oven and dried for 3 hours at 120° C. Afterdrying, the material was placed in a muffle furnace equipped with an airsweep gas flowing at 30 scfh. The catalyst was calcined by ramping 1.6°C./min to 400° C. and holding for 6 hours. After cooling, a 45 mLsolution containing 32.766 g of Nickel (II) Nitrate (Alfa Aesar) wasadded to the catalyst via incipient wetness. The material wastransferred to a static oven and dried for 3 hours at 120° C. Afterdrying, the material was placed in a muffle furnace equipped with an airsweep gas flowing at 30 scfh.

Example 5 Production of Oxygenates

The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 was tested at three differenttemperature profiles outlined in Table 7 to examine the impact oftemperature on feed conversion and product selectivity. The reactorsystem is shown in FIG. 2. The catalyst was loaded as a 10 inch packedbed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Before feed wasintroduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditions were set atthe desired temperature profile outlined in Table 7, 1050 psig, a weighthourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.40 grams of sugars per gram ofcatalyst per hour, a hydrogen co-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂ per 1mole carbon feed, and an aqueous recycle ratio of 1 mass flow rateaqueous recycle to 1 mass flow rate feed. The feed was composed of 45 wt% glucose, 15 wt % xylose, and 40 wt % water with approximately 1000 ppmof propionic acid to prevent bacterial growth.

TABLE 7 Temperature profile. Temperature Inlet Temperature OutletTemperature Profile (° C.) (° C.) 1 150 230 2 160 240 3 165 270

As is shown in Table 8, nearly all of the sugars were converted at eachof the temperature profiles. As the temperature profile was increased, ashift in product selectivity from sugar alcohols to primarily diols andunidentified aqueous compounds was observed. Although a portion of theproduction composition is unidentified, the unidentified compounds arenot monooxygenates and most likely di- and polyoxygenates.

TABLE 8 Product composition as a function of temperature profile.Product Composition (% CF) Temp. C⁴⁻ C₅₊ Sugar Unknown Profile ParaffinsParaffins Diols Acids Triols Alcohols Sugars Aqueous 1 0.01 0.03 9.990.25 4.14 39.08 0.22 42.00 2 0.00 0.32 19.88 0.27 6.64 19.33 0.02 53.223 0.03 0.21 34.17 0.44 0.99 0.82 0.00 60.97

Example 6 Deoxygenatation Catalyst Synthesis

A tetrametallic catalyst containing 1 wt % Pd, 1 wt % Mo, 0.25 wt % Sn,and 5% W on monoclinic zirconia was prepared using incipient wetnesstechniques. An aqueous solution with a volume equal to the incipientwetness volume for the monoclinic zirconia and containing 12.18 g ofammonium tungsten oxide hydrate (Alfa Aesar) was added to 165 g ofmonoclinic zirconia (Norpro) via incipient wetness. The catalyst wasdried at 130° C. for 2 hours. The catalyst was then calcined in air fromambient temperature to 400° C. at 1.6° C./min. Once the desiredtemperature was reached, the catalyst was soaked in air for anadditional 6 hours. An aqueous solution of 2 molar ammonium nitrate(Sigma Aldrich) with a volume equal to the incipient wetness volume ofthe catalyst to be impregnated and containing 1.22 g of tin (IV)chloride pentahydrate (Riedel de Haen) was added to the calcinedcatalyst via incipient wetness. The catalyst was dried at 130° C. for 2hours. The catalyst was then calcined in air from ambient temperature to200° C. at 2° C./min. From 200° C. to 220° C. the temperature ramp wasslowed to 0.1° C./min. Finally, the temperature ramp rate was increasedto 2° C./min from 220° C. to 400° C. Once the desired temperature wasreached, the catalyst was soaked in air for an additional 6 hours. Anaqueous solution of 2 molar ammonium nitrate (Sigma Aldrich) with avolume equal to the incipient wetness volume for the catalyst to beimpregnated and containing 3.064 g of ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate(Sigma Aldrich) was added to the calcined catalyst. The catalyst wasdried at 130° C. for 2 hours. An aqueous solution of 2 molar ammoniumnitrate (Sigma Aldrich) with a volume equal to the incipient wetnessvolume for the catalyst to be impregnated and containing 4.193 g ofpalladium (II) nitrate hydrate (Alfa Aesar) was added to the calcinedcatalyst. The catalyst was dried at 130° C. for 2 hours. The catalystwas then calcined with air from ambient temperature to 200° C. at 2°C./min. From 200° C. to 220° C. the temperature ramp was slowed to 0.1°C./min. Finally, the temperature ramp rate was increased to 2° C./minfrom 220° C. to 400° C. Once the desired temperature was reached, thecatalyst was soaked in air for an additional 6 hours.

Example 7 Production of Oxygenates

Example 8 compares the oxygenate product composition produced by the twodifferent deoxygenation catalysts from Example 4 and Example 6. Thecatalysts were operated to produce a mixture of oxygenated hydrocarbonsusing a reactor system as shown in FIG. 2.

The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 6 was loaded as an 11.5 inchpacked bed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Before feed wasintroduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditions were set ata temperature profile of 170-280° C., 1800 psig, a weight hourly spacevelocity (WHSV) of 0.40 grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, ahydrogen co-feed of approximately 1.5 moles H₂ per 1 mole carbon fed,and an aqueous recycle ratio of 4 mass flow rate aqueous recycle to 1mass flow rate feed. The feed was composed of 60 wt % sucrose and 40 wt% water with approximately 1000 ppm of propionic acid to preventbacterial growth.

The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 was loaded as a 10 inch packedbed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Before feed wasintroduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditions were set ata temperature profile of 175-270° C., 1050 psig, a weight hourly spacevelocity (WHSV) of 0.40 grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, ahydrogen co-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂ per 1 mole carbon fed, andan aqueous recycle ratio of 1 mass flow rate aqueous recycle to 1 massflow rate feed. The feed was composed of 45 wt % glucose, 15 wt %xylose, and 40 wt % water with approximately 1000 ppm of propionic acidto prevent bacterial growth.

Table 9 shows that the product profiles for each deoxygenation catalystare different. The catalyst from Example 6 results in greaterdeoxygenation as shown by increased production of paraffin andmonooxygenate species. In contrast, the catalyst from Example 4 produceshydrocarbons with more oxygen as highlighted by the production ofdioxygenate and unidentified aqueous species. These results demonstratethat the catalyst from Example 4 removes some oxygen from the oxygenatedhydrocarbon feed to increase the H:C_(eff) ratio. These results alsodemonstrate that the catalyst of Example 4 removes less oxygen than thecatalyst of Example 6, which results in the catalyst of Example 4producing a product composition having a lower H:C_(eff) ratio than thecatalyst of Example 6.

TABLE 9 Deoxygenation product composition. Catalyst Example 6 Example 4Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 0.61 1.05 (% CF) Paraffins 5.36 0.23Monooxygenates 37.46 9.16 Dioxygenates 23.75 35.59 Un. Aqueous 27.5749.77 Polyoxygenates 2.10 1.78

Table 10 shows a more detailed breakdown of the product composition. Thedeoxygenation catalyst from Example 6 produces primarily alcohol andcyclic ether monooxygenates. In contrast, the deoxygenation catalyst ofExample 4 produces primarily diols and unidentified aqueous compounds,which are believed to be di- and polyoxygenates.

TABLE 10 Detailed product composition. Catalyst Example 6 Example 4Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 0.61 1.05 (% CF) C⁴⁻ Paraffins 2.45 0.03 C₅₊Paraffins 2.91 0.2 Alcohols 20.31 3.17 Ketones 4.37 1.73 Cyclic Ethers11.11 5.63 Cyclic Ketones 1.67 0.07 Hydroxyketones + Diones 1.83 1.44Diols 18.29 33.46 Acids 3.63 0.67 Unidentified Aqueous 27.57 49.77Polyoxygenates 2.10 1.78

Table 11 shows the carbon number breakdown of the identified carbonspecies in the product. The catalyst from Example 6 maintains the carbonbackbone of the sugar feed and produces a small amount of longer chaincompounds. In contrast, the catalyst of Example 4 produces shorter chainmolecules, primarily in the C₂-C₄ range.

TABLE 11 Carbon number breakdown. Catalyst Example 6 Example 4 ProductComp. C₁ 0.47 0.40 (% CF) C₂ 3.90 5.75 C₃ 26.49 23.76 C₄ 5.50 7.64 C₅2.62 4.65 C₆ 28.60 4.67 C₇ 0.56 0.53 C₈ 1.30 0.00 C₉ 0.71 0.00 C₁₀ 0.320.00 C₁₁ 0.12 0.00 C₁₂ 0.09 0.00

Collectively, Table 9 through Table 11 show that the productcompositions are different. The products of the deoxygenation catalystof Example 4 tend to be oxygenated compounds having 2 to 4 carbon atomsand 2 or 3 oxygen atoms. Molecules of this type often have H:C_(eff)ratios approximately between 0.5 and 1.5. As a result, the productcomposition of the deoxygenation catalyst of Example 4 has a lowerH:C_(eff) than the catalyst of Example 6.

Example 8 Production of Aromatic Molecules

The products from Example 7 were processed downstream across aNi-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst to evaluate the hydrocarbonyield and selectivity, short term catalyst deactivation, and processoperability. The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 6 and thedeoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 were tested in the reactor systemsshown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, respectively. The products from thedeoxygenation catalyst from Example 6 were processed across aNi-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst loaded as two 13.5 inch packedbeds in 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactors. The conditions were setat 400° C., 100 psig, a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.4 gramsof sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, and a vapor recycle ratio of1.9 mass flow rate vapor recycle to 1 mass flow rate feed.

The products from the deoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 wereprocessed across a Ni-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst loaded as a12 inch packed bed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Theconditions were set at 375° C., 100 psig, a weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) of 0.4 grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, and novapor recycle.

Table 12 shows the impact of the different oxygenate feeds on thehydrocarbon product yield and selectivity. Using the deoxygenationcatalyst of Example 4 increased the aromatics yield and decreased theparaffin yield when compared against the deoxygenation catalyst ofExample 6. Most notably, the paraffin production was greatly depressedby using the deoxygenation catalyst of Example 4, and almost 16% lessfeed carbon ended up as a paraffin product. Most of that depression cameas a result of producing substantially less of the undesirable C₄paraffins.

A difference in coke deposition was also observed. Carbon removal fromthe Ni-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst was achieved throughoxidative regeneration following the processing of the products producedusing the deoxygenation catalyst from Example 6 and the deoxygenationcatalyst from Example 4. The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 6yielded on average around 2% of the carbon being fed as coke, while thedeoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 yielded on average 5% of thecarbon fed as coke. However, the difference in coke yield did nottranslate to a difference in short term catalyst deactivation. Due tothe nature of the products produced by the deoxygenation catalyst fromExample 4 and Example 6, both catalyst systems resulted in a 48 hourcycle before requiring regeneration to recover catalyst activity eventhough coke production was slightly different between the catalystsystems. As a result, the oxygenate product of the deoxygenationcatalyst of Example 4 produces a tolerable amount of coke.

TABLE 12 Impact of feed on product composition. Catalyst Example 6Example 4 Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 3.01 4.03 (% CF) C⁴⁻ Paraffins 15.723.58 C₅₊ Paraffins 7.51 3.89 C₆ + C₇ Aromatics 15.84 14.33 C₈ Aromatics20.70 21.31 C₉ Aromatics 16.44 18.93 C₁₀₊ Aromatics 6.96 8.47 Olefins1.65 3.06 Naphthenes 4.04 1.88 Polynuclear Aromatics 3.81 7.48Oxygenates 0.40 1.15 Total Aromatics 59.94 63.04

In accord with the feed study from Example 1, Example 8 demonstrates theadvantage of using certain mixtures of oxygenates to produce a highyield of aromatic hydrocarbons while minimizing the yield of paraffins.

Example 9 Dexoygenation Catalyst Synthesis

A second tetrametallic deoxygenation catalyst containing 2 wt % Pd, 2 wt% Mo, 0.5 wt % Sn/W—ZrO₂ was prepared using incipient wetnesstechniques. An aqueous solution of 2 molar ammonium nitrate (SigmaAldrich) with a volume equal to the incipient wetness volume of thetungstated tetragonal zirconia (Norpro) to be impregnated and containing1.186 g of tin (IV) chloride pentahydrate (Riedel de Haen) was added to79.965 g of the catalyst carrier. The catalyst was dried at 130° C. for2 hours. The catalyst was then calcined with air from ambienttemperature to 200° C. at 2° C./min. From 200° C. to 220° C. thetemperature ramp was slowed to 0.1° C./min. Finally, the temperatureramp rate was increased to 2° C./min from 220° C. to 400° C. Once thedesired temperature was reached, the catalyst was soaked in air for anadditional 6 hours. An aqueous solution of 2 molar ammonium nitrate(Sigma Aldrich) with a volume equal to the incipient wetness volume forthe catalyst to be impregnated and containing 3.001 g of ammoniummolybdate tetrahydrate (Sigma Aldrich) was added to the calcinedcatalyst. The catalyst was dried at 130° C. for 2 hours. An aqueoussolution of 2 molar ammonium nitrate (Sigma Aldrich) with a volume equalto the incipient wetness volume for the catalyst to be impregnated andcontaining 4.105 g of palladium (II) nitrate hydrate (Alfa Aesar) wasadded to the calcined catalyst. The catalyst was dried at 130° C. for 2hours. The catalyst was then calcined with air from ambient temperatureto 200° C. at 2° C./min. From 200° C. to 220° C. the temperature rampwas slowed to 0.1° C./min. Finally, the temperature ramp rate wasincreased to 2° C./min from 220° C. to 400° C. Once the desiredtemperature was reached, the catalyst was soaked in air for anadditional 6 hours.

Example 10 Production of Oxygenates

The deoxygenation catalysts from Example 9 and Example 4 were used toproduce a mixture of oxygenated hydrocarbons for downstream processingacross a Ni-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst. The reactor system isshown in FIG. 2. The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 9 was loaded asan 11.5 inch packed bed in a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor.Before feed was introduced, the catalyst was reduced in-situ. Theconditions were set at a temperature profile of 185-270° C., 1050 psig,a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.5 grams of sugars per gram ofcatalyst per hour, a hydrogen co-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂ per 1mole carbon fed, and an aqueous recycle ratio of 4 mass flow rateaqueous recycle to 1 mass flow rate feed. The feed was composed of 45 wt% glucose, 15 wt % xylose, and 40 wt % water with approximately 1000 ppmof propionic acid to prevent bacterial growth.

The catalyst defined in Example 4 was loaded as a 10 inch packed bed ina 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Before feed was introduced, thecatalyst was reduced in-situ. The conditions were set at a temperatureprofile of 175-270° C., 1050 psig, a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV)of 0.4 grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, a hydrogen co-feedof approximately 2 moles H₂ per 1 mole carbon fed, and an aqueousrecycle ratio of 1 mass flow rate aqueous recycle to 1 mass flow ratefeed. The feed was composed of 45 wt % glucose, 15 wt % xylose, and 40wt % water with approximately 1000 ppm of propionic acid to preventbacterial growth.

Table 13 shows the different product profiles for each deoxygenationcatalyst. The catalyst from Example 9 results in a further extent ofdeoxygenation as shown by increased production of paraffin andmonooxygenate species. The catalyst from Example 4, on the other hand,produces hydrocarbons with more oxygen as is highlighted by theproduction of dioxygenate and unidentified aqueous species.

TABLE 13 Deoxygenation product composition. Catalyst Example 9 Example 4Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 1.75 1.05 (% CF) Paraffins 10.71 0.23Monooxygenates 44.15 9.16 Dioxygenates 9.95 35.59 Unidentified Aqueous18.90 49.77 Polyoxygenates 0.37 1.78

Table 14 shows a more detailed breakdown of the product composition. Thecatalyst from Example 9 produces primarily alcohol and cyclic ethermonooxygenates. In contrast, the catalyst of Example 4 producesprimarily diol and unidentified aqueous compounds, which are believed tobe di- and poly-oxygenates.

TABLE 14 Detailed product composition. Catalyst Example 9 Example 4Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 1.75 1.05 (% CF) C⁴⁻ Paraffins 2.27 0.03 C₅₊Paraffins 8.43 0.2 Alcohols 19.81 3.17 Ketones 1.83 1.73 Cyclic Ethers21.36 5.63 Cyclic Ketones 1.14 0.07 Hydroxyketones + Diones 0.57 1.44Diols 7.32 33.46 Acids 2.06 0.67 Unidentified Aqueous 18.90 49.77Polyoxygenates 0.37 1.78

Table 15 shows the carbon number breakdown of the identified carbonspecies in the product. The catalyst from Example 9 maintains the carbonbackbone of the sugar feed and produces a small amount of longer chaincompounds. In contrast, the catalyst of Example 4 produces shorter chainmolecules, primarily in the C₂-C₄ range.

TABLE 15 Carbon number breakdown. Catalyst Example 9 Example 4 ProductComp. C₁ 0.04 0.40 (% CF) C₂ 3.14 5.75 C₃ 10.81 23.76 C₄ 5.16 7.64 C₅11.04 4.65 C₆ 34.36 4.67 C₇ 1.06 0.53 C₈ 1.45 0.00 C₉ 1.22 0.00 C₁₀ 0.460.00 C₁₁ 0.18 0.00 C₁₂ 0.29 0.00

Collectively, Table 13 through Table 15 show that the productcompositions are different. The products of the deoxygenation catalystof Example 4 tend to be oxygenated compounds having 2 to 4 carbon atomsand 2 or 3 oxygen atoms. Molecules of this type often have H:C_(eff)ratios approximately between 0.5 and 1.5. As a result, the productcomposition of the catalyst of Example 4 has a lower H:C_(eff) than thecatalyst of Example 9.

Example 11 Production of Aromatic Molecules

The products from Example 10 were processed downstream across aNi-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst to evaluate the hydrocarbonyield and selectivity, short term catalyst deactivation, and processoperability. The reactor system is shown in FIG. 4, and included aNi-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst loaded as a 12 inch packed bedin a 1 inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. The conditions were set at350° C., 100 psig, and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.5grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour.

As a comparison, the products from the deoxygenation catalyst fromExample 4 were also processed across a Ni-modified ZSM-5 condensationcatalyst loaded as a 12 inch packed bed in a 1 inch outer diameterInconel reactor. The conditions were set at 375° C., 100 psig, and aweight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.4 grams of sugars per gram ofcatalyst per hour.

Table 16 shows the impact of the different oxygenate feeds on thehydrocarbon product yield and selectivity. The mixture of oxygenatesproduced using the deoxygenation catalyst of Example 4 increased thearomatics yield and decreased the paraffin yield when compared againstthe mixture of oxygenates producing using the deoxygenation catalyst ofExample 9. Most notably, the paraffin production was greatly depressedusing the oxygenate mixture from the catalyst of Example 4, with almost17% less feed carbon ending up as a paraffin product. Most of thatdepression came as a result of producing substantially less of theundesirable C₄ paraffins.

A difference in coke deposition was also observed. Carbon removal fromthe Ni-modified ZSM-5 condensation catalyst was achieved throughoxidative regeneration following the processing of oxygenate mixturesfrom the Example 9 deoxygenation catalyst and the Example 4deoxygenation catalyst. The mixture of oxygenations from the Example 9deoxygenation catalyst yielded on average around 2% of the carbon beingfed as coke while the mixture of oxygenates from the Example 4deoxygenation catalyst yielded on average 5% of the carbon fed as coke.However, the difference in coke yield did not translate to a differencein short term catalyst deactivation. Due to the nature of the productsproduced by the deoxygenation catalyst from Example 4, both catalystsystems resulted in a 24 hour cycle before requiring regeneration torecover catalyst activity. As a result, the mixture of oxygenatesproduced using the deoxygenation catalyst of Example 4 produces atolerable amount of coke.

TABLE 16 Impact of feed on product composition. Catalyst Example 9Example 4 Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 5.64 4.03 (% CF) C⁴⁻ Paraffins 14.613.58 C₅₊ Paraffins 9.66 3.89 C₆ + C₇ Aromatics 13.86 14.33 C₈ Aromatics17.78 21.31 C₉ Aromatics 11.39 18.93 C₁₀+ Aromatics 5.15 8.47 Olefins2.15 3.06 Naphthenes 2.31 1.88 Polynuclear Aromatics 3.42 7.48Oxygenates 0.47 1.15 Total Aromatics 48.18 63.04

Example 12 Production of Oxygenates

The deoxygenation catalyst from Example 4 was tested at two differentaqueous recycle ratios to examine its impact on feed conversion andproduct selectivity. The reactor system is shown in FIG. 2. Thedeoxygenation catalyst was loaded as a 10 inch packed bed in a 1 inchouter diameter Inconel reactor. The conditions for the aqueous recycleratio of 1 mass flow rate aqueous recycle to 1 mass flow rate feed wereset at 175-270° C., 1050 psig, a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of0.4 grams of sugars per gram of catalyst per hour, and a hydrogenco-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂ per 1 mole carbon fed. The feed wascomposed of 45 wt % glucose, 15 wt % xylose, and 40 wt % water withapproximately 1000 ppm of propionic acid to prevent bacterial growth.The conditions for the aqueous recycle ratio of 4 mass flow rate aqueousrecycle to 1 mass flow rate feed were set at 160-285° C., 1050 psig, aweight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.4 grams of sugars per gram ofcatalyst per hour, and a hydrogen co-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂per 1 mole carbon fed. The feed was the same.

As is shown in Table 17, all of the sugars were converted in bothrecycle ratio cases. As recycle ratio was adjusted, a very minor shiftin product selectivity is observed. In the case of the 4:1 aqueousrecycle ratio slightly more alcohols are being produced. However, theimpact of aqueous recycle ratio is minimal as the primary products,diols and unidentified aqueous, are at nearly equivalent levels.

TABLE 17 Product composition as a function of recycle ratio. RecycleRatio 1:1 4:1 Product Comp. C⁴⁻Paraffins 0.03 0.35 (% CF) C₅₊Paraffins0.20 0.59 Alcohols 3.17 9.09 Ketones 1.73 3.14 Cyclic Ethers 5.63 6.04Hydroxy Ketones 1.40 2.68 Diols 33.46 25.81 Triols 0.94 1.75 Acids 0.671.49 Unidentified Aqueous 49.77 40.18 Sugar Alcohols 0.78 2.34 Sugars0.00 0.00

Examples 13-25

Example 13 through Example 25 describe the preparation of catalyticsupports for use in accordance with the present invention. Thesematerials (e.g., mesoporous alumina and/or mixed oxides) possess a BETsurface area of less than 200 m²/gram, more preferably less than 150m²/gram.

Example 13 B

A measured amount of a Boric Acid (Alfa Aesar) was added to a beakercontaining 75 g of pseudoboehmite powder such that the Boron contributed8% of the weight on a pseudoboehmite basis. The salts were admixed for˜5 minutes after which 80 mL of a 2% HNO3 solution (at ˜70° C.) wasadded. Upon addition of the aforementioned solution to the mixed solids,gelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C. static ovenand allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnaceequipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 14 Cr

A measured amount of a Chromium Nitrate (Alfa Aesar) was added to abeaker containing 75 g of pseudoboehmite powder such that the Chromiumcontributed 8% of the weight on a pseudoboehmite basis. The salts wereadmixed for ˜5 minutes after which 80 mL of a 2% HNO3 solution (at ˜70°C.) was added. Upon addition of the aforementioned solution to the mixedsolids, gelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C.static oven and allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in amuffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm whileramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 15 Ce

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 20.25 g of Cerium Nitrate(Aldrich) was added. The resulting slurry was stirred until gelationoccurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C. static oven andallowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnaceequipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 16 Co

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 32.28 g of Cobalt(II) Nitrate(Alfa Aesar) was added. The resulting slurry was stirred until gelationoccurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C. static oven andallowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnaceequipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 17 Cu

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 24.91 g of Copper Nitrate(Acros) was added. The resulting slurry was stirred until gelationoccurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C. static oven andallowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnaceequipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 18 Fe_(a)

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 47.27 g of Iron Nitrate (Acros)was added. The resulting slurry was stirred until gelation occurred. Thematerial was transferred to a 130° C. static oven and allowed to dryovernight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnace equipped with an airsweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holdingfor 4 hours.

Example 19 Fe_(b)

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 11.82 g of Iron Nitrate (Acros)was added. The resulting slurry was stirred until gelation occurred. Thematerial was transferred to a 130° C. static oven and allowed to dryovernight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnace equipped with an airsweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holdingfor 4 hours.

Example 20 Mg

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 38.648 g of Magnesium Nitrate(Sigma Aldrich) was added followed by the addition of 2 mL of a 10%nitric acid solution and 0.5 g of hydroxyethyl cellulose (Fluka). Theresulting slurry was stirred until gelation occurred. The material wastransferred to a 130° C. static oven and allowed to dry overnight.Calcination followed in a muffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gasflowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holding for 4hours.

Example 21 Mo

A measured amount of a Molybdic Acid (Sigma Aldrich) was added to abeaker containing 75 g of pseudoboehmite powder such that the Molybdenumcontributed 8% of the weight on a pseudoboehmite basis. The salts wereadmixed for ˜5 minutes after which 80 mL of a 2% HNO3 solution (at ˜70°C.) was added. Upon addition of the aforementioned solution to the mixedsolids, gelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C.static oven and allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in amuffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm whileramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 22 Nb

A measured amount of a Niobium Chloride (Alfa Aesar) was added to abeaker containing 75 g of pseudoboehmite powder such that the Niobiumcontributed 8% of the weight on a pseudoboehmite basis. The salts wereadmixed for ˜5 minutes after which 80 mL of a 2% HNO3 solution (at ˜70°C.) was added. Upon addition of the aforementioned solution to the mixedsolids, gelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C.static oven and allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in amuffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm whileramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 23 Theta-Al₂O₃

To a beaker was added 750 g of pseudoboehmite (Sasol). Thepseudoboehmite was diluted to 1800 mL with deionized water and theslurry was mixed for ˜5 minutes. 22.5 g of hydroxyl ethyl cellulose wasthen added along with 20 mL of 10% HNO3. Upon addition of theaforementioned solution to the mixed solids, gelation occurred. Thematerial was transferred to a 130° C. static oven and allowed to dryovernight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnace equipped with an airsweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to 1000° and holdingfor 4 hours.

Example 24 W

A measured amount of a Tungsten Oxide (Alfa Aesar) was added to a beakercontaining 75 g of pseudoboehmite powder such that the Tungsten Oxidecontributed 8% of the weight on a pseudoboehmite basis. The salts wereadmixed for ˜5 minutes after which 80 mL of a 2% HNO3 solution (at ˜70°C.) was added. Upon addition of the aforementioned solution to the mixedsolids, gelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C.static oven and allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in amuffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm whileramping 2° C./min to 1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 25 Zr

Seventy five grams of a pseudoboehmite (Sasol) was added to a beaker. Tothis beaker a 150 mL solution containing 16.553 g of zirconyl nitrate(Sigma Aldrich) was added. The resulting slurry was stirred untilgelation occurred. The material was transferred to a 130° C. static ovenand allowed to dry overnight. Calcination followed in a muffle furnaceequipped with an air sweep gas flowing 10 cfm while ramping 2° C./min to1000° C. and holding for 4 hours.

Example 26 Support Properties

The surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume for the catalyticsupports described in Example 13 through Example 25 are summarized inTable 18. The sample labeled NoproAl₂O₃ is commercially available fromSaint-Gobain Norpro.

TABLE 18 Catalyst Support Properties Surface Area Pore Diameter PoreVol. Sample (m²/g) (Å) (cc/g) B 25 285 0.09 Ce 48.7 284 0.35 Co 40.1 1690.15 Cr 52 288 0.28 Cu 52 288 0.28 Fe_(a) 4.6 310 0.01 Fe_(b) 25 2400.10 Mg 49 199 0.24 Mo 14.5 176 0.32 Nb 53 286 0.3 Theta-Al₂O₃ 63.1 2860.41 W 22 171 0.06 Zr 63.9 224 0.36 NorproAl₂O₃ 71.9 169 0.30

Example 27 Modified Supports

Ni was added to the supports in Example 13, Example 15, Example 18,Example 19, Example 23, and Example 25, and the catalysts were used toproduce a mixture of oxygenates according to the present invention.Using the reactor system shown in FIG. 1, 12 grams of catalyst wasloaded as packed bed in a ½ inch outer diameter Inconel reactor. Beforefeed was introduced, the catalyst was reduced using hydrogen at a spacevelocity of 700 hr⁻¹, a 2 hour temperature gradient to 400° C., followedby a 1 hour hydrogen soak. The conditions were set at 1050 psig, aweight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.50 grams of sugars per gram ofcatalyst per hour, and a hydrogen co-feed of approximately 2 moles H₂per 1 mole carbon fed. The feed was composed of 20 wt % glucose, 5%Xylose and 75 wt % water, with approximately 1000 ppm of propionic acidto prevent bacterial growth. The initial reaction temperature was set toa profile of 180-220° C., ramped over a period of 4 hours to 180-300°C., and held at that profile for a period of 3 hours, at which time theproducts were sampled.

As shown in Table 19, the various metal oxide modifications impact thecatalyst selectivity ranging. Comparing the catalysts from Example 18and Example 19, it can be seen that not only does the metal modificationimpact performance, but the amount of metal incorporated into the thetaalumina structure is also important for product selectivity. Overall themetal modifications adjust selectivity from the base theta aluminasupport (Example 23) in a variety of ways from predominantlyhydrogenation in the case of the catalyst from Example 18 tosubstantially more hydrodeoxygenation and decarbonylation from thecatalysts of Example 25 and Example 15.

TABLE 19 Product composition Example Example Example Example ExampleExample Catalyst 25 18 19 15 13 23 Product Comp. CO + CO₂ 10.7 0.2 5.49.2 4.2 3.8 (% CF) Paraffins 41.0 0.5 37.1 40.7 20.7 1.1 Monooxygenates27.1 0.3 23.8 20.4 17.1 5.7 Dioxygenates 8.2 3.3 9.9 6.1 41.1 13.9 Un.Aqueous 11.9 16.2 15.3 12.4 10.2 32.3 Polyoxygenates 1.9 80.4 2.3 1.44.6 4.2

Example 28 Deoxygenation Catalyst Synthesis

A 50 mL solution containing 7.48 grams of Nickel (II) Nitrate hydrate(Alfa Aesar) and 0.71 grams Tin (IV) Chloride (Riedel de Haen) was addedto 37 grams of tungstated zirconia (Norpro Saint-Gobain) in two separateequivalent aliquots. The solid was allowed to dry in between additionsin a static oven at 120° C. for a period of 1 hour. After the secondaddition, the wetted solid was allowed to dry for a period of 3 hours ina static oven at 120° C. The solid was then transferred to a mufflefurnace and calcined under flowing air (30 scfh). The calcination wasaccomplished by ramping the oven at 1.6° C./min until a finaltemperature of 400° C. was reached, after which the temperature was heldfor 6 hours.

Example 29 Deoxygenation Catalyst Synthesis

A solution 13 mL solution containing 0.53 grams of Tin (IV) Chloridepentahydrate (Riedel de Haen) and DI water was added to 28.04 grams oftungstated zirconia (Norpro Saint-Gobain) via incipient wetnesstechnique. The resulting wetted solid was dried in a static oven at 120°C. for a period of 2 hours. After which the solid was removed andcalcined in a muffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 30scfh. The calcination was accomplished by ramping the oven at 1.6°C./min until a final temperature of 400° C. was reached after which thetemperature was held for 6 hours. The oven was allowed to cool, thesolid removed and impregnated via incipient wetness technique with a 13mL solution containing 1.03 grams of Ammonium Molybdate Tetrahydrate(Sigma Aldrich). The wetted solid was then dried and calcined accordingto the aforementioned procedure. Palladium impregnation was accomplishedvia addition of a 13 mL solution containing 1.41 grams of Palladium (II)Nitrate Hydrate (Alfa Aesar) via incipient wetness technique. Theresulting solid was dried and calcined via aforementioned procedures.

Example 30 Production of Oxygenates

Catalysts provided in Example 28 and Example 29 were tested in a reactorsystem configured in the process flow diagram in FIG. 1. The reactortemperature outlet was maintained at 270° C. The sugar feedstock wassupplied at a rate of 1 gram sugar per 1 gram catalyst per hour. Reactorpressure was maintained at 1050 psig. The results of the testing areprovided in FIG. 6.

Example 31 Deoxygenation Catalyst Synthesis

A solution 12 mL solution containing 5.691 grams of ammonium tungstenoxide hydrate (Alfa Aesar) and DI water was added to 26.021 grams oftheta alumina (Norpro Saint-Gobain) via incipient wetness technique. Theresulting wetted solid was dried in a static oven at 120° C. for aperiod of 2 hours. After which the solid was removed and calcined in amuffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 30 scfh. Thecalcination was accomplished by ramping the oven at 1.6° C./min until afinal temperature of 400° C. was reached after which the temperature washeld for 6 hours. The oven was allowed to cool, the solid removed andimpregnated via incipient wetness technique with a 12 mL solutioncontaining 0.385 grams of Tin (IV) Chloride pentahydrate (Riedel deHaen). The wetted solid was then dried and calcined according to theaforementioned procedure. Molybdenum addition was accomplished viaincipient wetness impregnation of the resulting solid with a 12 mLsolution containing 0.975 grams of Ammonium Molybdate Tetrahydrate(Sigma Aldrich). The resulting solid was dried according to theaforementioned procedure followed by Palladium impregnation. Palladiumimpregnation was accomplished via addition of a 12 mL solutioncontaining 1.333 grams of Palladium (II) Nitrate Hydrate (Alfa Aesar)via incipient wetness technique. The resulting solid was dried andcalcined via aforementioned procedures.

Example 32 Deoxygenation Catalyst Synthesis

A solution 12 mL solution containing 5.834 grams of ammonium tungstenoxide hydrate (Alfa Aesar) and DI water was added to 26.652 grams ofmonoclinic zirconia (Norpro Saint-Gobain) via incipient wetnesstechnique. The resulting wetted solid was dried in a static oven at 120°C. for a period of 2 hours. After which the solid was removed andcalcined in a muffle furnace equipped with an air sweep gas flowing 30scfh. The calcination was accomplished by ramping the oven at 1.6°C./min until a final temperature of 400° C. was reached after which thetemperature was held for 6 hours. The oven was allowed to cool, thesolid removed and impregnated via incipient wetness technique with a 12mL solution containing 0.395 grams of Tin (IV) Chloride pentahydrate(Riedel de Haen). The wetted solid was then dried and calcined accordingto the aforementioned procedure. Molybdenum addition was accomplishedvia incipient wetness impregnation of the resulting solid with a 12 mLsolution containing 1.000 grams of Ammonium Molybdate Tetrahydrate(Sigma Aldrich). The resulting solid was dried according to theaforementioned procedure followed by Palladium impregnation. Palladiumimpregnation was accomplished via addition of a 12 mL solutioncontaining 1.367 grams of Palladium (II) Nitrate Hydrate (Alfa Aesar)via incipient wetness technique. The resulting solid was dried andcalcined via aforementioned procedures.

Example 33 Production of Oxygenates

Catalysts provided in Example 31 and Example 32 were tested in a reactorsystem configured in the process flow diagram in FIG. 2. The reactortemperature outlet was maintained at 270° C. A 50 wt % 43 DE corn syrup(Food Ingredients, Inc.) that was passed over an ion exchange column anddoped with 1000 ppm propionic acid feedstock was supplied at a rate of 1gram feedstock per 1 gram catalyst per hour. Reactor pressure wasmaintained at 1050 psig and a recycle flow rate was also maintained at amass ratio of 4:1 on a mass basis. The results of the testing areprovided in FIG. 7.

Example 34 Production of Oxygenates

The two deoxygenation catalysts from Example 4 and Example 9 were testedin the reactors system illustrated by FIG. 2. A 50 wt % 43 DE corn syrup(Food Ingredients, Inc.) was passed over an ion exchange column anddoped with 1000 ppm propionic acid feedstock before being supplied at aflow rate of 0.5 grams feedstock per gram catalyst per hour and therecycle rate was a 1:1 mass ratio. The inlet of the reactor was kept at180° C. for both catalyst systems. The outlet temperature wasintentionally modified as noted in FIG. 8 through FIG. 9 to examineselectivity of the NiSn catalyst.

Example 35 Synthesis of NiSn Alloy Catalysts

A NiSn alloy deoxygenation catalyst was prepared as follows. Themulti-step synthesis involves (1) solvation, (2) impregnation of thesupport, (3) precipitation, (4) crystallization, and (5)reduction/activation. Table 20 contains a list of all reagents and theirmanufacturers that were used in the synthesis of the NiSn alloys.

TABLE 20 List of Reagents Reagent Name Manufacturer 1 Nickel(II)Chloride hydrate Alfa Aesar 2 Tin(II) Chloride hydrate Alfa Aesar 32-Methoxyethanol (2ME) Sigma Aldrich 4 Ethanol (denatured) ColumbusChemical 5 Sodium Hydroxide Fisher Scientific 6 Industrial Hydrogen AirGas

Unsupported Alloy Synthesis:

A measured amount of reagents 1 and 2 were added to a round bottom flaskequipped with a condenser. A solution containing deionized (DI) water,ethanol and, 2-Methoxyethanol (2ME) was added to the round bottom flaskin the quantities detailed in Table 21. The reaction mixture was thenheated to 50° C. for a period of 30 minutes to facilitate dissolution ofthe metal salts while stirring. Next, a 3M solution of NaOH was addeddrop-wise to the top of the condenser column to precipitate thecorresponding metal hydroxides until a final pH of >10 was observed. Forthe crystallization step, the entire contents of the reaction mixturewere emptied into a Teflon liner and loaded into a sealed autoclave;Parr instrument Company model 4566 (300 mL). The reactor was then heatedto 150° C. over the course of 2 hours under autogeneous pressure. Afterbeing held at temperature for an additional period of 18 hours, thereactor was allowed to cool. Upon completion of the crystallization, thesolids were recovered via vacuum filtration and washed with 3equivalents (200 mL each) of DI water followed by drying in a staticoven at 120° C. The dried solids were then ready for reduction duringwhich they were loaded into a quartz reactor placed into a furnace.Under flowing hydrogen, the reactor was heated 2° C./min to a finaltemperature of 400° C. and held for a period of 4 hours.

TABLE 21 Detailed Quantities of Synthesis Reagents (unsupported alloys)Ni(Cl)₂ Sn(Cl)₂ 2ME Ethanol DI water Description (g) (g) (g) (g) (g)Ni3Sn2 13.690 8.670 33.43 16.65 10 Ni3Sn1 17.117 5.416 33.42 16.60 10Ni3Sn4 10.478 12.459 27.83 13.84 10 Ni 15.206 — 33.38 16.62 10

Supported Alloy Synthesis:

The catalyst carriers used for the supported alloy preparation arelisted in Table 22.

TABLE 22 Catalyst Carriers Description Manufacturer Product number Thetaalumina Saint-Gobain Norpro SA31145 Alpha alumina Saint-Gobain NorproSA5151 Monoclinic Zirconia Saint-Gobain Norpro SZ31145 Activated CarbonCalgon 206 CAT-P

A measured amount of reagents 1 and 2 were added to a beaker, followedby a solution containing deionized (DI) water, ethanol and,2-Methoxyethanol (2ME) at the quantities detailed in Table 23. Thereaction mixture was then heated to 100° C. for a period of 10 minutesto facilitate dissolution of the metal salts while stirring. Thesolution was then added to a measured amount of catalyst carrier suchthat the incipient wetness of the carrier was achieved based on thevolume of total solution. Next, a 3M solution of NaOH was addeddrop-wise to a Teflon liner loaded with the wetted solid. The additionof NaOH resulted in the precipitation of the corresponding metalhydroxides, which was ceased after a final pH of >10 was observed. Forthe crystallization step, the Teflon liner was loaded into a sealedautoclave, Parr instrument Company model 4566 (300 mL). The reactor wasthen heated to 150° C. over the course of 2 hours under autogeneouspressure. After being held at temperature for an additional period of 18hours, the reactor was allowed to cool. Upon completion of thecrystallization, the solids were recovered via vacuum filtration andwashed with 3 equivalents (200 mL each) of DI water followed by dryingin a static oven at 120° C. The dried solids were then loaded into aquartz reactor placed into a furnace. Under flowing hydrogen, thereactor was heated 2° C./min to a final temperature of 400° C. and heldfor a period of 4 hours.

TABLE 23 Detailed Quantities of Synthesis Reagents (supported alloys)Ni(Cl)₂ Sn(Cl)₂ 2ME Ethanol H₂O Carrier Alloy Carrier (g) (g) (g) (g)(g) (g) Ni₃Sn₁ θ-A1₂O₃ 6.849 2.167 4.147 8.245 3.8 22.000 Ni₃Sn₂ θ-A1₂O₃6.846 4.337 3.326 6.881 2.665 21.080 Ni₃Sn₄ θ-A1₂O₃ 6.846 8.666 3.3226.681 4.4 22.000 Ni₃Sn₂ ∝-A1₂O₃ 13.010 8.239 3.152 6.350 1.532 42.015Ni₃Sn₂ Carbon 6.850 4.337 1.670 3.345 3.081 22.581 Ni₃Sn₂ m-ZrO2 11.4677.221 2.781 5.582 5.030 35.257

Example 36 Production of Oxygenates

The unsupported NiSn alloys were tested alongside a baseline supported8% Ni 2% Sn/θ-Al₂O₃ catalyst in a batch service. The catalysts werereduced ex-situ before being loaded under water into a stirred tankreactor. The reduction conditions are shown in Table 24. All experimentswere run with a 20% sorbitol feedstock. The experiments in Table 25 wererun for a comparison between the various deoxygenation catalysts. Thepressure listed is the target pressure at the end of the temperatureramp, but this actually varied somewhat depending on the activity ofeach individual catalyst. Each run was designed to have an equal amountof Ni loaded into the reactor based on the ICP results of the freshcatalyst.

TABLE 24 Stirred Tank Reduction Conditions Temperature H₂ Flow Ramp SoakCatalyst (° C.) (mL/min) (hr) (hr) All catalysts 450 250 4 2

TABLE 25 Stirred Tank Reaction Conditions 8% Ni Catalyst 2% Sn/ NiNi3Sn2/ Formulation θ-Al₂O₃ Ni₃Sn₁ Ni₃Sn₂ Ni₃Sn₄ only θ-Al₂O₃ CatalystMass (g) 10 2.44 3.08 4.85 1.52 28.05 H₂ Pressure 1050 1050 1050 10501050 1050 (psig) Temp Ramp 3 3 3 3 3 3 (° C./min) Final Temp (° C.) 250250 250 250 250 250 Soak Time (min) 120 120 120 120 120 120

A comparison of the products is shown in FIG. 10. It can be seen bycomparing the unsupported catalysts that each alloy has differentactivity and selectivity. With conversion similar to a blank run with nocatalyst, the Ni only material converted only about 55% of the sorbitol.Most of the identified products were sorbitan and isosorbide, which canbe produced by thermal reactions alone. The Ni₃Sn alloy was more active,converting about 75% of the sorbitol, but did not show much of anincrease in alcohol or diol products. The Ni₃Sn₂ alloy performed thebest of the unsupported materials, converting over 80% of the sorbitoland producing about 5% of both diols and alcohols. The Ni₃Sn₄ alloy haddifferent activity compared to the other alloy catalysts, and while ithad over 90% conversion of sorbitol, almost all of the identifiedproducts were sorbitan and isosorbide, which are produced simply bydehydration reactions.

When comparing the activity of the unsupported alloys to the supportedcatalysts, it is clear that supporting the metals on θ-Al₂O₃ greatlyincreases the activity of the catalysts. By comparing the two supportedcatalysts to each other, it can be seen that the Ni₃Sn₂ alloy catalystgreatly outperforms the incipient wetness catalyst, specifically in diolproduction. The supported Ni₃Sn₂ catalyst also produced almost nosorbitan or isosorbide compared to over 20% for the incipient wetnesscatalyst.

Example 37 Production of Oxygenates

The supported NiSn alloy deoxygenation catalysts were further tested ina fixed bed reactor system. The catalysts were tested with isothermalconditions and at three different WHSV. The final weight check (WC) wasdone at the same conditions as the first to check for deactivationduring the run. The reaction conditions are shown in Table 26.

TABLE 26 Reaction Conditions HZ1 HZ2 HZ3 HZ4 T T T T P WHSV WC Feed (°C.) (° C.) (° C.) (° C.) (psig) (hr⁻¹) 1 50% Sorbitol 250 250 250 2501050 0.5 2 50% Sorbitol 250 250 250 250 1050 1 3 50% Sorbitol 250 250250 250 1050 1.5 4 50% Sorbitol 250 250 250 250 1050 0.5

FIG. 12 shows the results for the deoxygenation catalysts containingNiSn alloys supported on θ-Al₂O₃ compared to standard incipient wetnesscatalysts in a flow-through reactor system at WSHV=0.5 hr⁻¹. Similartrends to the unsupported catalysts can be observed. The Ni₃Sn andNi₃Sn₂ alloys have similar product profiles to the incipient wetnesscatalysts and are more selective at producing diols. The supportedNi₃Sn₄ alloy is the lowest activity catalyst tested. Again, thiscatalyst only seems to catalyze dehydration reactions as the bulk of theidentified products are isosorbide and sorbitan. At this WHSV, allcatalysts except for the Ni₃Sn₄ alloy achieved nearly full conversionand thus, all of the product profiles were similar.

FIG. 13 compares the performance of the supported NiSn alloydeoxygenation catalysts at WHSV=1 hr⁻¹. The Ni₃Sn₄ alloy was omittedfrom FIG. 12 because of low conversion and poor diol selectivity. Atthis WHSV, the Ni₃Sn₂ supported alloy is clearly the best performingcatalyst. The Ni₃Sn₂ alloy maintained nearly full conversion of sorbitolwhile each of the other catalysts tested dropped to about 85%conversion. In addition, this catalyst converted over 30% of the feedcarbon to diols, 1.5 times more than any other catalyst. In fact, theNi₃Sn₂ catalyst at WHSV=1 hr⁻¹ performs almost identically to a 8% Ni 2%Sn/θ-Al₂O₃ catalyst at WHSV=0.5 hr⁻¹.

In addition to θ-Al₂O₃, α-Al₂O₃, an activated carbon and monoclinic ZrO₂were tested as supports for the Ni₃Sn₂ alloy, with the results shown inFIG. 14. Both α-Al₂O₃ and m-ZrO₂ performed much more poorly than theθ-Al₂O₃ supported material in terms of both activity and selectivity.Both catalysts had less than 50% conversion and nearly all of theidentified products were isosorbide and sorbitan. The activated carbonsupported Ni₃Sn₂ alloy did have approximately 95% conversion, althoughthe catalyst had extremely low selectivity to retro-aldol condensationproducts. Of the materials tested, the θ-Al₂O₃ support is preferred forthe present invention.

1. A method for producing oxygenated compounds from oxygenatedhydrocarbons, the method comprising: reacting an aqueous feedstock, theaqueous feedstock comprising water and one or more oxygenatedhydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of a monosaccharides,disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, sugar alcohols, sugardegradation products, cellulosic derivatives, hemicellulosicderivatives, lignin derivatives, lingnocellulosic derivatives, andmixtures thereof, with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprisinga Group VIII metal and a crystalline alumina support to produce amixture of oxygenates, wherein the H:Ceff ratio of the mixture ofoxygenates is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to1.7.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture of oxygenates has oneor more attributes selected from the group consisting of (i) a % CFratio greater than or equal to 0.5 of dioxygenates and polyoxygenates tomonooxygenates, (ii) a % CF ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 ofdioxygenates to monooxygenates, (iii) a % CF ratio greater than or equalto 1.0 of C2-4 oxygenates to C5-6 oxygenates, and (iv) the mixture ofoxygenates further comprising alkanes and less than or equal to 10% CFalkanes.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the H:Ceff ratio of themixture of oxygenates is less than or equal to 1.6, less than or equalto 1.5, or less than or equal to 1.4.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe H:Ceff ratio of the mixture of oxygenates is greater than or equalto 0.6, greater than or equal to 0.7, greater than or equal to 0.8,greater than or equal to 0.9, or greater than or equal to 1.0.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the catalyst further comprises a second metalselected from Group IB, Group IIB, Group IIIB, Group IVB, Group VB,Group VIB, Group VIIB, Group VIII, Group IIIA, Group IVA, and Group VA.6. The method of claim 1, Group VIII metal is Ni or Pd.
 7. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the second metal comprises Sn or Mo.
 8. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the catalyst comprises greater than or equal to 0.5 wt% of the Group VIII metal and greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % of thesecond metal.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the crystalline aluminasupport is a transitional alumina support.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the crystalline alumina support is theta-alumina.
 11. The methodof claim 1, wherein the support is modified with a member selected fromthe group consisting of B, Cr, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, Nb, W, Zr, andmixtures thereof.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture ofoxygenates comprises greater than or equal to 30% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 40% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, greater than or equal to 50% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates, or greater than or equal to 60% CF dioxygenates andpolyoxygenates.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture ofoxygenates comprises greater than or equal to 30% CF dioxygenatesgreater than or equal to 40% CF dioxygenates, greater than or equal to50% CF dioxygenates, or greater than or equal to 60% CF dioxygenates.14. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising reacting aportion of the reaction product with an acid condensation catalyst at acondensation temperature and a condensation pressure to produce one ormore C4+ compounds selected from the group consisting of a C4+ alkanes,C4+ alkenes, C5+ cycloalkanes, a C5+ cycloalkenes, aryls, fused aryls,polycyclic compounds, and mixtures thereof.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein the C4+ compounds comprise one or more aryls selected from thegroup consisting of benzene, toluene, xylene, paraxylene, metaxylene,and orthoxylene.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the mixture ofhydrocarbons comprises greater than or equal to 50% CF aryls and lessthan or equal to 20% CF C4+ alkanes.